Unexpected
by ladygris
Summary: Weddings, stalkers, falling in love-Cam Mitchell learns that some thing are simply unexpected.  Ever so slight crossover with SGA.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis or any of the characters related to the shows. The original characters, however, are my fault.

**Author's Note:** Okay, boys and girls, you can blame this one on bailey1ak and her wonderful story, Kissing Traditions. That one story jumpstarted a character fascination that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down. So let's get started. . . . ~lg

oOo

"Now how did I end up here?" Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell stared at the park with something akin to dread. Not that he didn't want to be there. But he'd just arrived in southern New Mexico the previous evening and did not want to meet the bride's family in such a public and boisterous setting.

Rather than dwelling on his circumstances, Cam walked toward the large group gathered around a smoking grill and accompanied by a contingent of children playing tag. He grinned, knowing that he could always spend time with the kids if he needed to escape the family. He knew from personal experience how embarrassing the elderly aunts and grandparents could be at these shindigs. Had he been in charge, Andrew and his fiancée would never have endured such torture. But, here he was, in support of a friend about to tie the knot.

Cam shook his head as he walked toward the gathering. He never thought he'd see fellow Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Baker settle down. Like Cam, he was too much of a flyboy. But this lady, Amber, wouldn't take no for an answer. She managed to get Andrew out on a first date, and the rest of the relationship just happened. At least, that's how Andrew explained it. From the looks Amber gave him, she was wrapped around his little finger.

As he walked, Cam looked up and scowled. When Andrew said southern New Mexico, Cam pictured wide open plains and lots of brown, not nearby mountains and dark clouds hovering in the background. The mid-July heat wasn't as stifling as he thought, but the blanket of humidity made breathing difficult. Yesterday, when he'd arrived, the rain fell in sheets for all of ten minutes, clearing away to bright blue skies and puddles of water deep enough to make a compact car float away.

The park Andrew's in-laws had chosen for the get-to-know-everyone cookout was actually quite nice. The grass provided a place for kids to play soccer, tag, or dodge ball. An amphitheater rose out of the ground, and a band played some sort of rock and blues mix that echoed over the park. Cam listened as he walked, impressed by the blending of the two styles. Since Andrew and Amber spoke to each other in quiet tones that indicated they didn't want to be interrupted, Cam paused to listen to the music. The lead singer, a woman who appeared to be in her mid to late twenties, had a low voice without the rocker's growl that so many women liked to develop. The rest of the band consisted of a Hispanic bass player, a wiry guitarist, and a very pretty pianist. The song ended, and Cam grinned as the woman at the piano looked directly at him. Her cheeks darkened a bit, and his grin widened. He'd never thought about having the power to make a girl blush simply by looking at her.

Deciding he'd done enough damage for the moment, Cam turned from the stage to find Andrew. The two men had visited for a short time the night before, but it wasn't enough to catch up with a buddy he hadn't seen since flight school. They had both put in some time on the F-22 Raptor, but Cam had been sidetracked when his piloting skills took a turn for the fantastic. The two men still kept in touch and were close enough that Andrew asked Cam to be his best man. Honored by the request, Cam still dreaded the day he had to don his dress blues.

"Shaft."

Cam turned at the sound of his call sign. "Bach."

Andrew groaned. "You would have to remind me, wouldn't you?"

"Always." Cam grinned as he shook hands with his buddy.

Next to them, Amber scowled. "What's 'Bach?'"

Cam's grin widened again. "Andrew, here, neglected to tell us that his mom likes classical music. During one particularly boring day in flight school, the guys decided that, since he had the largest CD collection with him, he could provide the music for a gathering. Someone found the CD of Bach and put it in. We cleaned up the drinks the guys spewed all over him, and Andrew took a shower. When it came time to assign call signs, 'Bach' sorta stuck. "

Andrew laughed. "Yeah, those were the days."

Amber looked between the two of them. "And 'Shaft?'"

"Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, ma'am." Cam held out his hand. "Better known in flight circles as Cam 'Shaft' Mitchell." When she shook his hand, a dubious expression on her face, he sighed. "A camshaft is part of an engine used to open and close valves."

"Oh."

Andrew slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, honey. Most people don't get it anymore. Cam, here, just happens to like cars."

Cam followed the two toward the grill, where most everyone had congregated. The band finished playing and secured their instruments on the stage. He watched the pretty pianist jump down from the elevated platform and head toward the crowded area around the grill. Apparently, she was part of the gathering. Suddenly, his day looked a little brighter.

For the next few minutes, Cam mingled with people he didn't know, trying not to draw too much attention. He saw the sideways glances, however, and decided to escape no matter how many pretty women there were. His job made him aware of attention, and attention was bad.

Someone stopped beside him. "So, friend of the bride or groom?"

Cam turned to see the wiry guitarist. "Groom. You?"

"Bride." The guy scowled. "Well, my sister is. I'm just here to perform and get free food."

The piano player walked over and hit him in the arm. "Danny, be nice." She turned to Cam, a slight flush covering her cheeks as she did so. "Deanna Chandry."

"Cam Mitchell." For some reason, he didn't want his rank to be an issue between them. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." She nodded toward the guitar player, who looked almost identical to her. "My brother, Daniel."

"Twins?"

"Yep." Danny, as he obviously preferred to be called, looked around. "I'll catch up to you later, Dee. Nice to meet you, Cam."

Cam waved as the guy dodged a few kids and stopped next to a pretty blond. He turned back to Deanna, noticing how the sun highlighted her curly brown hair. Suddenly, he didn't quite know what to say. She was prettier up close than far away. Her hazel eyes sparkled, and her skin fairly glowed with vitality.

Before he could come up with something incredibly stupid, she rescued him. "So, did you come down for the wedding or to harass Andrew about it?"

He clearly recognized the good-natured jibe in there. "I can't do both?"

"There's a trick to doing both these days." She eyed him. "Especially if he outranks you."

"Oh, he doesn't outrank me." Then, he frowned. "How'd you know?"

"Besides the high-and-tight haircut and the dog tags peeking at your neck?" She grinned. "I have a cousin in the Air Force, and my dad was retired Air Force. Always did like a man in uniform."

Cam suddenly turned to face her, intrigued by her comment. "Let me properly introduce myself. I am Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, USAF."

Deanna nodded sagely. "Nice to meet you, Colonel." She looped her arm through his and started walking toward the end of the food line. "So, where are you from?"

"As in stationed or originally?" He grabbed a paper plate and handed it to her. "I'm stationed at Peterson AFB, but I'm from Auburn, Kansas. You?"

"Good old New Mexico." She shrugged. "Not that I don't ever want to leave. I just like it here, and our business is here."

"Business?"

"Yeah, landscaping and greenhouse." She finished filling her plate with a hot dog and chips. "My brother and I co-own the business."

"Ah." He started to say something but stopped when she chose her soda from the cooler. "Mountain Dew?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing." He swiped a generic cola. "You just strike me as an iced tea kinda girl."

"Is that so?" She led him to a spot on the grass and picked at the hot dog while they talked. Cam studied her, noticing how she barely looked at him without blushing. That was a good sign, he decided. Besides, the more he got to know her, the better he liked her spirited outlook on life. They spent the majority of the afternoon in the shade of a willow tree, laughing and talking about very little of importance. When her brother called for her to help with the equipment, Cam jumped to his feet and held out his hand.

Deanna stared at it for a moment and then allowed him to pull her to her feet. Cam didn't let go immediately, enjoying the closeness and the way she seemed unable to tear her eyes away from his face. His heart did funny things at that moment, and he didn't want to look anywhere else.

A shrill whistle broke the spell, and Deanna blushed again, this time at her brother's teasing shout. "I'm sorry. I really need to help them break down the equipment."

"I'll come help." Cam gathered their plates and jogged over to a trash can. Then, he followed Deanna toward the stage where several large amplifiers waited to be loaded into a trailer. Deanna set about breaking down the microphones, chatting easily with the lead singer. Cam simply helped the bass player pick up another amp and carry it to the trailer.

By the time he left the park that day, he'd acquired a sunburn and one very important business card. After he helped them load the band's equipment on the trailer, Deanna slipped him one of her cards, her personal cell number written on the back. As she drove away, he flipped the card in his hands. Perhaps coming to New Mexico for a wedding wasn't so bad after all.

oOo

Alyssa stared at the tall colonel who appeared at the picnic. When he'd first arrived, she'd drawn in a sharp breath. Those blue eyes could charm anyone, and that face. . . . Oh, she wanted to get close to him. She _needed_ to get close to him. So, she pushed her way through the crowd, intent on inserting herself into his circle of friends. But the musicians from the band reached him first. She watched as he smiled and flirted with the piano player and shook her head. With looks like that, he could do so much better. But his conversation with the pianist served her well. She discovered his name and rank. Cameron. She whispered it, letting it roll over her tongue like fine wine. Yes, that name suited him well. He moved like a man sure of himself, just as his name suggested.

As Alyssa watched him through the afternoon, she worked to keep her emotions from her face. But Cameron was just too attractive. She finally left the party for the sanctuary of her car, where she'd be able to stare at him without anyone noticing. From her position, she watched the pianist slip a card into his hands and shook her head. The woman didn't know what was good for her.

Alyssa smiled and waited until Cameron left the park. She had ways of eliminating competition. If she could get close to him, all her dreams would be realized. All her desires for the future rested in Cameron. Like a drug, he addicted her immediately. If this fascination with the piano player continued, she would take action. No one could step in between her and the one who would fulfill her every desire.

~TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Deanna's cell phone rang while she sat on hold with a customer. She scowled at it, trying to place the area code. Most people calling her nursery used the business phone. Deciding that she could carry on both conversations, she snatched up the cell phone before it went to voicemail. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Cam." He sounded unsure of himself, and Deanna grinned as her cheeks heated.

"Hi." She wanted to hit herself. An incredibly attractive man called her, and all she could manage was "hi?" And what was with all the blushing around him? She hadn't blushed around a man since her ex-boyfriend sent her normally laid back brother into a murderous rage.

"How ya doin'?" Cam asked, his southern drawl calming her only slightly.

"Good. On hold, so if I suddenly ask you to wait, don't hang up."

He chuckled. "I won't be long. I just wanted to see if you're doin' anything tonight. You know? Maybe we could go grab a bite to eat."

Deanna grinned again. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yeah, I guess I am." He let out a deep breath, and she realized he'd been a bit nervous. Cam Mitchell, lieutenant colonel with the Air Force, nervous? The three descriptions didn't seem to go together.

She flushed again even though he couldn't see her. "I'd love to have dinner with you. Casual or dressy?"

"I don't plan to do anything dressy except the weddin'." His voice returned to the calm drawl of yesterday. "I'll see you around six?"

Deanna confirmed the time and gave him directions to her place. Then, as she hung up the cell phone, she stared at her calendar. She had a date for the first time in two years. With a guy who was only here on vacation and made her blush just by the sound of his voice. She shook her head. She shouldn't be doing this, but Cam's pull on her wouldn't end until she saw him and convinced herself that it had been a fluke of a perfect afternoon in the park.

"Ms. Chandry? Hello?" The voice on the other end of the business phone told her that the guy had been trying to get her attention.

She flushed yet again. "Oh, sorry! Did you find the invoice?"

Once the business concluded, Deanna decided that she wouldn't get much done in the way of accounting. Not with a date that night. Suddenly, she forgot that Cam wasn't Alejandro. He wasn't so arrogant that he thought he should have his way, no matter what. In fact, he had purposefully _not_ used his rank until she called him on being military. And, the entire time they spoke yesterday, he never once used that rank to get him information he wanted. No, he wasn't Alejandro.

"Dee?" Daniel found her standing over a potted purple leaf plum tree, water pouring out of the pot while she held the water hose over it. "You okay?"

"What?" Deanna realized what she was doing and jerked the hose away, soaking her feet in the process. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"I have a date with Cam tonight," she announced suddenly.

Danny's concern dissolved into a teasing grin. "Really? Where's he taking you?"

"Nowhere fancy." She tried to fall into a normal conversational tone, but she couldn't keep the tension from her voice. "I mean, he's not the type to dress up unnecessarily. And, besides, I don't want fancy. I don't want all that pressure."

"He's not Alejandro."

"I know." She refused to look at her brother since he read her face so well. "I'm just not sure I'm ready to start dating again."

"Dating? Really?" Danny's eyebrows rose. "Because I thought he was here for only two weeks."

"Come on, Danny. Even you know this is a global world. Long-distance relationships work out all the time."

"So this is a relationship, now? Man, I missed a lot overnight."

She realized he was teasing her. "Oh, you're just jealous."

"Of your date with a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force who happens to be male?" Danny shuddered. "Jealous does not even begin to enter into my vocabulary. No way. Not happening."

Deanna grinned, thankful that the focus shifted. Danny went his way, muttering under his breath about his sister and her _crazy_ ideas. As soon as he left, however, her mind returned to Cam. Danny's words established one thing: he wouldn't tease her if something wasn't there. She gave up trying to get any kind of work done and went inside the house to look for an outfit for that night. Thankfully, she only had three hours to fill before Cam appeared.

Right at six that evening, a knock sounded on the door. Deanna rushed to dab a bit of cologne on her wrists and eyed herself in the mirror. She wasn't dressed up, but her curly hair had taken a bit of time. Now, it hung around her shoulders in all its glory, tamed only by copious amounts of hair gel. Her denim skirt fell to her knees and accented her curves without being obvious. And the bright green tailored blouse caused the brown in her eyes to fade.

Cam stood next to the door, chatting with Danny when she appeared. He wore jeans, a snug t-shirt and brown bomber jacket over it all. Deanna worked to keep the blush from her face as his eyes swept her appearance, but Cam's quick appraisal and approving grin defeated her. Danny nodded to himself and disappeared to the kitchen. Cam motioned his way. "You've got a great brother."

"You mean annoying and nosy?" The familiar taunt of a younger sister helped her steady her nerves. "I know he's great. He just likes to appear at the worst possible moments."

Danny's voice came from the kitchen. "I heard that!"

Cam laughed. "Shall we?"

"Sure." Deanna walked out the door and let him usher her into his rental car, a sedate blue sedan. After he turned on the air conditioner, she rubbed her hands over the gray upholstery. "Why do I get the feeling this car is as far from you as the moon is from earth?"

He gave her a strange look at her analogy and nodded. "Because it is." After turning the ignition and lowering the loud music, he grinned. "I'm more of a classic car kinda guy."

"Gee, I didn't see that one coming," she teased. The lighthearted banter continued as he drove to a nice Mexican restaurant about fifteen minutes away. Deanna grinned as he parked the car. "I've never been here."

"Really?" He eyed her only momentarily as she released her seat belt from it's clasp. "Stay put."

"Yes, Sir." Deanna gave him a mock salute, not quite the proper military salute her father had taught her years ago. It had the desired effect, however, and Cam grinned widely. Then, he walked around to her side of the car, opened her door, and held out his hand. She took it and let him pull her to her feet. "Aren't you a gentleman?"

"My momma raised me to be one." His grin returned after a moment. "Doesn't mean I always listen."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Inside, the waitress seated them at a table next to a patio. Deanna joked that she'd melt if they sat outside, and Cam commented on the weather in Colorado. While they studied the menus, she wondered if she'd just made a mistake. The friendly banter from yesterday had continued until the official "date" began. Now, she didn't quite know where to begin. She hadn't had a first date in over two years, and the last one had been rather awkward. No matter how this friendship with Cam ended, she didn't want the awkwardness to overshadow what might happen.

Fortunately for her, Cam had no problems with starting a conversation. He'd settled in the chair next to hers rather than across the way, and he held up his menu as if shielding his face while speaking to her in a stage whisper. "I come from Kansas. What do all these words mean?"

To her credit, Deanna laughed. "In other words, what's not too spicy?"

"Oh, I like spice." He grinned. "I also like to taste my food."

"The chile relleno is good, but my favorite is the green chile stew." She looked over the rest of the menu. "Chimichangas are really good, as well."

"Chim-what?"

"A fried burrito."

"Well, why didn't they just say that?" When she shrugged, he sighed. "I'll take your word for it."

When the waitress came around to their table, Cam ordered the enchiladas, a safe bet in his book, and Deanna decided on the green chile stew. While they waited for their food, they chatted about everything uniquely Southwestern. Deanna found herself enjoying the "education of a Midwesterner," as Cam put it. She, in turn, asked about home. An hour into the conversation, she dropped the bombshell. "So, I know you're good friends with Andrew. How'd you two meet?"

"In flight school." Cam set down his tea and pushed his empty plate away. "We were sorta best buds from the moment we met. But, then, we both came from similar backgrounds. Since then, we've been in and out of all sorts of crazy situations, always coming home at the end of the day." He had sobered considerably and glanced at her. "Some of those days weren't that great, but we came home."

Deanna sensed the change in his demeanor and frowned. "I'm sorry if I brought up a taboo subject."

"Oh, flying's not taboo." He shrugged. "It just has some. . .interesting consequences."

"I understand."

"You do?"

"My cousin is military." She tried to smile, but it didn't appear like she'd hoped. "He's overseas right now, fighting for America and all that jazz. I believe in the fight, and I believe in America. But, it's hard when you're close to someone and not able to see them but maybe once a year. And I know Aunt Paige would love to see her son more than that."

"You know your cousin well?"

"Not as well as I'd like." She took a sip of her tea. "Since joining the military, he's been shipped out to parts unknown more than he's been in the States. When he comes home, I can see the way it affects him, but I can't do anything about it. Makes it hard."

"It is hard." Cam met her eyes. "It's as hard for him as it is for you."

"I guess you'd know about that." She stared at him. "How did we get on this topic?"

"I don't know." After paying for the meal, he walked her back to the car. "Hey, sorry if I spoiled the mood back there."

Deanna wanted to hug him. He looked so apologetic. "No problem. You're better suited to understand what my cousin goes through than I am. Besides, I'm the one who brought up the topic."

They rode together in silence, but neither one wanted to break it. About halfway back to her house, Cam reached over and took her hand. Deanna smiled and laced their fingers together, enjoying the contact. He wasn't pushing her but trying to reassure her. This wasn't the way she'd wanted their first date to end.

At her house, he walked her to the door. "I enjoyed tonight."

"Me, too." She nearly squealed when she realized she'd finally conquered her blushing problem. With him standing close and smiling down into her eyes, she was grateful that her face didn't betray the feelings he stirred.

He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I'd like to see you again, while I'm here."

"I'd like that, too." On impulse, she tiptoed and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for a wonderful evening, Cam."

His eyebrows rose in surprise, and he grinned at her. "Oh, no. Thank _you_."

Deanna reluctantly went inside at that moment. Danny was already in his room, preparing for an early day of work in the morning. Rather than closing the door on Cam, she stood in the open doorway and watched him drive away. As his car disappeared, she turned toward her room and sighed. She liked that boy more than she should have. It made her wonder what she was going to do when he left after the wedding.

~TBC

**Author's Note:** For those of you who are unaware, the chimichanga was quite an accident. A Mexican cook somewhere accidentally dropped a rolled burrito into a vat of hot oil. She began to say, "Chi-," which is the beginning of a Spanish curse word. Instead, she said, "Chimichanga," which is the equivalent of _thingamajig_.


	3. Chapter 3

The following evening, Cam stared at his cell phone and debated calling Deanna. He'd really enjoyed their date, and, although the conversation ended on a serious note, he wanted to see her again. Had told her so. She understood his reticence to talk about his work and had not pushed him. That might change, but he wanted to find out if it would change.

Decision made, he dialed her number. After two rings, she answered, "Hello?"

"Hey, It's Cam." His customary greeting slipped out before he could stop it.

"Hi, how are you?" She sounded distracted. "Give me a moment."

"Did I call at a bad time?"

"No." She let her voice trail off for another few seconds. "I was trying to finish figuring out where a missing order went. But I'm done for the day, anyway. I just thought that, since the house is quiet, it would be a good time to get it done."

"Figure it out?"

"I think so." Dishes clanked in the background. "And, with Danny out for the evening, this was the perfect time to get the work done."

"Well, since your work for the day is done, I was thinking about catching a late movie at the theater." He grinned as the water running on the other end of the phone suddenly stopped. "Care to join me?"

"Oh, Cam." She drew in a deep breath. "I'd love to, but I can't. Not only is my brother out on a date and taking Marissa to said movie, but he'd worry if he came home and I wasn't here."

She certainly knew how to take the wind out of a man's sails. Cam settled back on his hotel bed. "You know which movie I was thinking about?"

"Only one the theater is showing this late." She turned the water on again. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't be." He propped his hand behind his head and kicked off his boots. "We'll just sit and talk for an hour or two."

"About what?"

"Whatever." When she didn't say anything, he grinned. "I know. Guys aren't supposed to like talking, and military men are supposed to be all macho. I get it. But not all guys are always like that."

She laughed, rewarding him for his willingness to set her straight. "I'll keep that in mind."

Over the next hour, they talked about the military and her job. Cam shared some of the stuff he'd seen, humorous stuff mostly. She didn't ask the hard questions and artfully steered the conversation away from his career when she sensed that he didn't want to talk about it any longer. He appreciated that. Even over the phone, she'd been sensitive to his changing voice. Not many women could master that skill.

He, in turn, asked about her family. Deanna shared funny incidents that she and Danny had experienced growing up, including the family dog that made a habit out of running into walls and doors at full speed. Cam laughed with her, enjoying how her laugh made him feel. What was he thinking? He was only in New Mexico for another ten days. He didn't need to fall in love with a woman who had no concept of the world as it really was.

His phone ended the conversation with a warning beep about the low battery. He reluctantly hung up after getting her to promise to see a movie the following evening. Then, he lay back and stared at the ceiling.

Did he even know what he was doing? Cam sighed. He had ended any hopes of the relationship with Amy because she barely had an idea of what his job entailed. That, and Vala's insistence on being a nuisance at the high school reunion. Should he even continue this relationship with Deanna if he hadn't been able to continue the one with his high school crush who knew about his job? And what about the SGC? Deanna had no idea life on other planets existed, and he traveled there on a regular basis, sometimes daily. His job was dangerous, and he'd had bounties put on his head. Did he want to expose her to that kind of danger? Did he want to give his enemies-and Earth's enemies-that kind of power?

Unfortunately, his heart seemed to have made the decision. Cam pushed himself off the bed and grabbed a drink from his room's refrigerator. Sometimes, he decided, throwing caution to the wind was the way to go. He just hoped he hadn't made a colossal mistake in letting Deanna get under his skin and into his heart.

After trying and failing to think things through, Cam pushed himself off the couch and to take a shower. He'd chosen a hotel on the outskirts of the town, and the sounds of the nearby roadways crept through the thickest walls. Rather than complain every time a car's lights glared through his first-floor window, he moved to close the light-blocking drapes. As he reached for them, something flashed from the parking lot outside.

Instinct kicked in, and Cam backed away from the window. His hand went under the pillow where he kept his handgun. Then, he realized what he'd done. Someone had probably gone to eat with some friends, and the group had decided to take a picture in the parking lot. He just caught the flash of the camera out of the corner of his eye. Content with the explanation, he closed the drapes and took a shower.

oOo

Danny appeared shortly after Cam's phone died. Deanna quietly rinsed the tea pot she'd used to make tea, knowing that her brother would share when he was ready. He'd been dating Marissa for about a month, and things were serious between those two. She could see it in Danny's eyes when he talked about her. Deanna was happy for her brother, but she also worried about losing him. After all, who would protect her when he left?

Cam's face came to mind, and Deanna shook her head. Somehow, their limited time together had produced a wonderful bond between them. She'd never been a believer in love at first sight, but she wondered if she'd fallen for Cam the moment she saw him watching her while she played the piano. That man was too attractive for his own good, and she dreaded seeing him at the wedding. In dress blues, he just might take her breath away so badly that she wouldn't be able to sing. And, as far as Amber was concerned, that would be a crime.

Danny joined her, sitting at the table with a slightly dazed expression on his face. "Hi."

Deanna laughed. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

He grinned. "No, no ghosts." He sobered for a moment. "I think I'm in love."

Deanna dropped the tea pot, grateful that it only clanked against the counter rather than bouncing to the floor. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He shook his head. "The more I'm around Marissa, the more I'm intoxicated with her."

"That doesn't mean you're in love." _Good one, Dee_, she thought. _Keep telling yourself the same thing._

"I know, and I accepted that when we first met." He shrugged. "I mean, all that 'love at first sight' stuff is just for those sappy romance stories, right?"

She blinked as her brother echoed her thoughts from moments ago. "Now?"

"Now, I'm wondering if it's true." He laughed at her. "You look like I just dropped the biggest bomb on your life."

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't go reading my mind like that."

"Cam?"

"He called while you were out." She grinned. "Wanted to go see the movie you took Marissa to see."

"Really? Good man." Danny studied her and sobered. "You really like him, don't you?"

"More than I should."

"So, will you be upset if I tell you Marissa's coming over here for dinner tomorrow?" He eyed her as she stiffened. "She's met you, but she wanted to spend some time with us as a family and not in passing."

"Tomorrow evening?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Yeah, it's a problem." Deanna tried to quell the anger that rose inside and wondered where it had originated. "I have a date with Cam tomorrow evening. Honestly, Danny, why didn't you ask me before you invited her over? You're not the only one in a relationship anymore."

Danny held up his hands, surprised at her outburst. "Dee, I'm sorry. I had no idea that you and Cam had plans."

"Because you didn't ask."

"It's never been a problem before," he answered somewhat heatedly. "You're always ready to have company, no matter how last minute the plans are."

"Oh, is that all I am to you?" She glared at him. "The dutiful little sister who stays home and cooks your food and makes your friends welcome?"

"You know that's not the case." He rubbed his hand over his face. "And I really am sorry."

Deanna continued to glare at him for a few more minutes before walking out the back door. The greenhouse glowed in the moonlight, and she slipped inside its humid warmth, enjoying the scent of fresh soil and growing plants. The atmosphere calmed her. She shouldn't have become so angry with her brother. But Cam stirred protective instincts stronger than anything she'd experienced. Maybe she was falling in love with him.

As she walked through the plants, she thought about this spell that Cam Mitchell seemed to have cast over her. The first time she'd seen him, he stared at her as if surprised. The next time she saw him, he seemed shy and slightly embarrassed by her forward behavior. In truth, she was embarrassed by her behavior. But Cam took it in stride and turned it into this wonderful quasi-relationship they now shared. His limited time in New Mexico heightened the feelings and added a sense of desperation to their time together. If she didn't get a handle on these emotions, she'd get carried away with them.

Then, she grinned. If Danny could have his girlfriend over the next evening, then she could have Cam over. Besides, that sounded like more fun than sitting in a dark movie theater, watching an action film with a hot fighter pilot at her side. Deanna paused at that thought. Okay, maybe not as much fun, but it would make her brother think twice. Besides, if the movie was another late showing, they could do both. Decision made, she headed back for the house and found Danny in the living room, idly playing the guitar.

"Hey." Her voice brought his head up, and he stared cautiously. "I'm sorry. I flew off the handle, and I was out of line."

Danny nodded, not excusing her behavior. "For what it's worth, I didn't know Cam meant that much to you. I can reschedule with Marissa. She'll understand when I tell her why."

"No!" Deanna held up her hand. "If you can have company, then so can I. I'll call Cam tomorrow and see if he wants to join us for dinner."

Danny thought about this for a moment. "You would subject your boyfriend to me?"

"He's a colonel in the Air Force who also flies fighter jets in combat situations." She stared at him. "He doesn't scare easily."

"Good to know," Danny quipped. He set his guitar back on its stand and headed for his room.

"Danny." Her warning tone stopped him in his tracks. "He's not Alejandro."

"I know." He grinned at her. "But if Marissa is going to be nervous about you, why not let Cam be nervous about me?"

"I don't think it works that way." She turned back toward the kitchen, intent on cleaning up the slight mess she'd made when they had argued. Then, she stopped. "Just, for the record, it's very weird discussing my personal relationships with you and having you understand them."

"What can I say? Love changes a man."

Deanna rolled her eyes at his sappy grin and let him retire for the night. She sat up for a few more hours, however, trying to figure out what to do about Cam Mitchell. When nothing came to mind, she went to bed, already looking forward to the next day.

~TBC

**Author's Note: **So, I enjoyed the sibling argument. Anyone who has a brother or sister can understand how quickly those arguments flare. Let me know what you think. ~lg


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Deanna called Cam and made arrangements to modify their plans for the evening. At first, he sounded disappointed that the movie wouldn't work. Then, when she explained the situation, he seemed pleased. And a little quiet. Deanna wondered if she'd just surprised him or stepped out of line. At this point in time, she wasn't sure.

Cam appeared promptly that evening, and Deanna opened the door with a grin. Over the course of the day, she realized how intimate the dinner would be. After all, she did most of the cooking. But, she also reasoned that Marissa would be there. All thoughts of Marissa fled, and every doubt she'd had about that evening rose to mind when she saw Cam standing on the porch of her home. He wore jeans, a snug t-shirt, and that bomber jacket from a few nights ago. His dog tags weren't under his shirt this time, and she liked the different look.

He turned and grinned at her. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah." Deanna let him inside, watching how he studied her home. "I'm just a little out of my element."

He whirled from his study of the living room. "Because of me?"

"Because of the entire situation." She headed for the kitchen, leaving the decision to follow her up to him. "I mean, my brother came home last night and told me that he thinks he's in love." She picked up a knife and stared at it. "My _brother_!"

Cam grinned at her again. "Yeah, I can see where that would be a little weird. But, imagine tonight from his point of view. He probably feels the same way about me."

Deanna flushed. "I haven't told him I'm in love." She glanced at him as she began chopping onions. "I'm not even sure what this is, yet."

He slipped off his jacket and dropped it over one of the dining chairs. Then, he grabbed the second cutting board propped behind the knife block and pulled out another knife. "This?" He swiped the garlic she'd peeled but hadn't had a chance to chop. As he began to expertly chop it, he leaned close enough to whisper in her ear, "This is dinner. Don't rush it."

She looked at him, trying to breathe with his face so close to her own. "I wasn't."

They stood like that for a moment, and then Danny cleared his throat behind them. Deanna flushed again, and Cam grinned at her before dropping the knife to shake her brother's hand. She continued to chop the onions as Cam returned to working on the garlic. Why did she have to respond this way to him? What was it about him, besides the brilliant blue eyes, that affected her heart so strongly that she forgot how to breathe?

Marissa arrived before the potatoes and green beans she'd planned had finished cooking. Danny, who manned the grill in the back yard, rushed through the house, drawing an amused chuckle from Cam. He leaned toward Deanna. "I see what you mean."

Vindicated, Deanna stirred the green beans and eyed the salad taking shape. "Should we rush them?"

Cam leaned back, peeking around the wall in that trained military way. After a moment, he looked back at her. "Nah. Let's give them some time."

After a few moments of quiet, she heard Danny explaining that his sister's boyfriend was also joining them for dinner. Cam's head came up suddenly. "Boyfriend?"

"Sorry." Deanna mentally prepared to strangle her brother. "He's the one that said it. Not me."

Cam thought about that for a moment. "I like it."

Deanna stared at him. She still stood with her knife poised over the tomatoes when Danny led Marissa around the corner. Rather than admitting that Cam had shocked her, she set down the knife and wiped her hands on a towel.

Danny made the introductions. "This is my sister, Deanna. And this is Cam Mitchell." He floundered momentarily. "Meet Marissa Richman."

Marissa shook hands with both of them and motioned toward Cam. "So you two are dating?"

"What? No." He sent Deanna a conspiratorial wink. "We've been seeing each other for about a week and haven't yet decided what this is."

Deanna let out a sigh of relief at that statement. "And, I hate to drag Danny away from you, but the steaks are going to burn."

Danny cursed under his breath and ran out the door, drawing a laugh from Cam and Marissa. Deanna opened her mouth to offer the other woman a drink, but Marissa followed Danny out the door. Cam took that moment to invade her space again. "So, are we going to decide what this is?"

She stared at him, not wanting to disappoint him but not ready to fully commit to another relationship. "I don't know, Cam. You're leaving in another week, and I'm not sure it's wise to start anything right now."

"I don't know that I have a choice in that." He took the knife from her hand and set it aside. "I mean, this is all unexpected, but I'm not sure I can let things go so easily. Sometimes, your heart decides something before your mind catches up."

She let out a deep breath. "I know what you mean. And I understand. I'm feeling the same thing. But it's only been a few days, and I don't want to jump into something I'm not ready to be in."

"So long as you realize that I'm an impatient man." He smiled at her. "I'll wait, but only for so long. Then, I might try to make it an order."

Danny returned a few minutes later with the steaks a little worse for the wear and a grinning Marissa in tow. Deanna finished tossing the salad while Cam set helped set the table. By the time they sat down to eat, the tension from introductions had faded. Marissa clearly adored Danny, and Deanna's heart settled as she watched the two of them. They were clearly head over heels, and she suddenly wanted her brother to know that she'd be okay. With Cam nudging her elbow and flirting openly with her, she thought she just might have found something worth the risk.

After they ate, Marissa and Danny insisted on helping them clean the kitchen. Deanna finally demanded that they leave the kitchen after she tripped over them for the third time. Cam laughed softly as they left and looked at her. "He's got it bad."

"I know." She smiled, feeling somewhat starry-eyed after watching her brother. "He makes me think."

They finished loading the dishwasher and wiping the counters. Deanna marveled at the level of comfort between the two of them and wondered if that should indicate something. She refused to dwell on the matter, however, and enjoyed having Cam with her. As they walked from the kitchen into the living room, he slipped an arm around her shoulders.

Danny and Marissa sat on the love seat facing the kitchen, leaving the couch for Deanna and Cam. They spoke quietly, their faces only a few inches apart. Deanna almost nudged Cam out the front door when Marissa noticed them. She straightened marginally and grinned. "Danny tells me you play the guitar as well."

Cam moved away from her slightly as he stared in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," Deanna hedged, "not as well as Danny does."

Marissa grinned at her. "I'd love to hear it." She glanced between the two men. "If that's okay."

"Fine with me." Cam sat on the end of the couch nearest the unused fireplace. "Go on, girl. Let's hear something." He sounded so intrigued that she couldn't say no. Instead, she went to her room and grabbed the acoustic guitar she kept on a stand in there. Danny's guitars lined a wall in his room, but he kept his favorite Fender Strat in the living room, next to her digital piano. Hoping he'd rescue her and add in a really cool solo, she grabbed her tuner and a pick and returned to the living room. Settling into the couch next to Cam, she decided that she'd do the best she could.

Seeing Danny move to grab his Strat, she patiently tuned her guitar and began strumming the opening chords to a blues ballad. The music took over a moment later, and she managed to forget about Cam, Marissa, and the pressure in the room. For those few minutes, the music reigned. When she reached the chorus of the song, Danny added in a few touches with his electric guitar, coming in strong with a showy solo intended to impress his girlfriend. And it did. By the time the song ended, Marissa stared at him with adoration covering her face. Deanna decided that, if Danny didn't propose to this girl, she'd kill him.

oOo

Cam let his arm rest on the back of the leather couch, enjoying this glimpse into Deanna's life. Dinner had been fun, and he'd enjoyed the light conversation they shared before the meal. He meant what he said, however. He had a feeling his heart had already chosen his course of action.

Deanna fairly glowed as she played the guitar. He watched her, amazed at the change in her face. Her fingers flew over the fret board, clearly on par with her brother's more showy style. Her music, however, was only an extension of herself.

As the song ended, Cam rubbed his eyes. He'd come here tonight, planning to keep things light and fun. He didn't come here to debate the future of their relationship-or if they even had anything more than a brief attraction to each other. Seeing Deanna in her home, surrounded by things familiar to her, changed all that. The large living room with the breathtaking landscape over the brick fireplace, the white kitchen with touches of color, and the obvious love of music displayed in the instruments and sheet music carelessly scattered around the tables revealed more of Deanna Chandry than she probably intended. And he liked what he saw. This was a woman with stability.

After playing two more songs, Danny set his guitar aside and asked Marissa if she'd like a tour of the greenhouse. Marissa agreed readily, and Cam watched them go with an amused smile. In another month, he'd probably look the same way when Deanna entered the room. If he didn't look that way already.

After her brother disappeared, Deanna returned her guitar to the room where she kept it and walked back into the living room. Rather than sitting on the love seat across from him, like he expected, she dropped onto the couch and leaned into his side. Cam chuckled again and let his arm rest across her shoulders. "Better?"

"Yeah." She drew in a deep breath and let it out, seeming to draw strength from him. "Sorry. I just wasn't ready to see him like that."

"Hey, no need to apologize." The thought that he could calm her emotions sent something like a shock through him. He shifted and stood up. "Come on."

She frowned. "You want to see the greenhouse, too?"

"Oh, Lord, no!" He grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. "Let's take a walk. Watch the sunset. You don't look like you'll be in the mood for a movie tonight."

Deanna quickly found her phone and sent a text to her brother letting him know where she'd gone. Then, she followed him out the front door. Cam realized that he'd left his jacket inside but decided to ignore it. New Mexico was too hot to wear it anyway. Instead, he took Deanna's hand in his own and smiled when she laced her fingers with his.

They walked for a while, content to enjoy the profound silence of the desert. The Chandry twins lived between two towns, and the wind blowing through the mesquite whistled slightly. The sun began to set, and the high clouds took on a gilded look. Cam watched the orange glow set Deanna's hair on fire and knew he couldn't go back. He was falling in love with this woman and couldn't do a single thing about it. All concerns about a whirlwind romance faded in that moment, and he decided that, no matter how long it took, he'd find a way to make his career and their relationship work.

As they walked back to the house, the hair on Cam's neck stood on end. He glanced at Deanna, but she showed no signs of apprehension. Rather than speaking to her, he looked around. Who would be watching them in the middle of the desert? Was anyone even watching them? He'd felt this way before, and things always ended badly.

Not seeing anyone, he tightened his hold on Deanna's hand and led her to her front door. After she went through in front of him, he turned to survey the street. All was quiet. A stray car passed, the driver distracted as she talked on the cell phone. Nothing else appeared out of the ordinary. Deciding that he didn't quite know how to relax, Cam entered the house and closed the door. His decisions about his relationship with Deanna stood. Now, if he could figure out why New Mexico made him so jumpy, he'd be a happy camper.

oOo

Alyssa turned onto the highway, content with her evening's work. Oh, things could have gone better. She'd followed Cameron from his hotel room, and he'd been so distracted with his little date that he hadn't noticed her. Yet. But, in time, he'd come running to her arms.

She dropped the cell phone into her lap and smiled dreamily, staring at the picture taped onto the dashboard of her car. Cameron looked divine as he stared out into the night. She was sure he'd seen her flash, but she couldn't resist the picture. Just as he'd moved to close the drapes in his hotel room, he had smiled ever so slightly. That smile set her heart to racing. She couldn't get enough of it. She made several copies of the picture and set them up in her home, office, and car. To anyone who asked, it was a friend. But she knew better. That picture of Cameron provided a reminder of what she'd feel when she had his complete attention. The thought of seeing him stare at her with those blue eyes bright with longing and desire warmed her and made her flush.

A car behind her honked, and Alyssa jumped as she stepped on the gas pedal. Perhaps putting the picture of Cameron on her dashboard had been a bad idea. But, when she arrived home, she couldn't bring herself to remove it.

~TBC


	5. Chapter 5

The rehearsal for Andrew and Amber's wedding arrived long before Deanna was ready. She'd spent every available moment during the past week with Cam and knew her feelings for him went beyond simple attraction. She had yet to see him angry, but she'd seen him pull away when she allowed a bit of trepidation to escape.

Deanna thought about the incident as she dressed for the rehearsal and accompanying dinner. They had finally gone to see that movie that he'd wanted to see, holding hands and whispering all the way through the action flick. Cam made it difficult to keep from laughing aloud as he pointed out all the Hollywood tricks done to make the combat look somewhat realistic. His voice told her that he saw combat more than anyone on that screen. After the movie, they walked out of the theater and sat in the Sonic drive thru, enjoying ice cream and telling stories of their favorite movies. He drove her home later than either of them had planned, but neither of them wanted the night to end. As he stood on her porch, he touched the strand of hair that had refused to stay tucked in the bun.

Suddenly, Deanna's mind flashed to Alejandro and his behavior the last time they were together. He had touched her face in a very similar fashion, and she involuntarily pulled away from Cam when he leaned in to kiss her. Rather than ask her, he had studied her eyes for just a moment before rubbing his thumb on her jaw. _When you're ready,_ he had promised. Deanna shook her head. How could the man be so understanding without knowing the reason?

Now, she studied her appearance and hoped for another chance. Cam hadn't pulled away from her in the few days since that incident, but he hadn't pushed her, either. She appreciated that and knew he recognized her need for time. She loved him for accepting her in spite of her fears from previous relationships. Tonight, she dressed for him. The bride and groom wanted their rehearsal to be "casual and family-friendly." Deanna chose the denim skirt she'd worn on her first date with Cam and paired it with a sunny yellow tailored blouse. The color brought out the natural highlights in her hair and made her eyes turn brown.

Danny left to pick up Marissa. Cam and Danny had worked out an arrangement since both men would attend the bachelor party that evening. Deanna had listened to them the previous evening, enjoying how Cam acted like an older brother to Danny. He fit in well with her family, and she wondered what her cousin would say. Or her dad. As she turned from the mirror, she looked at the photo of her father on her dresser. Taken a few months prior to his death, he'd stood proud in his dress blues with the American flag behind him. After retiring from the Air Force, he started the business she and Danny now maintained.

Cam arrived just then, pulling her from her thoughts and warming her with his appreciative grin. She loved that about him. He held the car door for her and took her hand in his as soon as they backed out of the driveway. Deanna smiled at the small sign of affection, knowing that he would hold her hand all night if he could. He'd taken to putting his arm around her shoulders when they sat side by side. To Deanna, it was comfortable. His touch always sent tingles through her skin, but she liked how he wasn't awkward with the show of affection.

The rehearsal went as well as any wedding rehearsal. Cam stood in the center of the aisle, listening as Amber's mother gave him painstaking instructions on walking the maid-of-honor down the aisle. Eventually, he dropped a bland mask over his face, and Deanna quickly realized he'd gone into military mode. He barely stopped short of taking up a parade rest stance. When the mother of the bride instructed him to look lovingly at her younger daughter-the maid-of-honor-Deanna bristled. Before she could say anything, Cam shook his head. "Won't happen. But I got it anyway."

The tension continued, and Deanna watched Amber leave the church in tears after her mother snapped at her. Andrew went after her, and Cam rubbed his eyes. It appeared that Amber's mother wanted this to be _her_ wedding, not her daughter's wedding. Ten minutes later, Amber and Andrew returned. This time, Andrew spoke, telling his future mother-in-law in no uncertain terms that the wedding would proceed how _Amber_ wanted it to proceed. Deanna exchanged a grin with Cam, inwardly wondering if the mother of the bride would storm from the church.

Andrew smoothed the ruffled feathers by the time the dinner came, and Cam sighed dramatically as he escorted Deanna out the door. "So glad that's over."

"Yeah, me too." She couldn't keep the slight growl from her voice.

Cam looked at her, suddenly confused. "What happened?"

"The mother of the bride happened." Deanna refused to explain it any further than that and calmed on the way to the restaurant. Once there, they dined on excellent Mexican food and laughed between themselves. She spotted Danny sitting a few tables away, stuck between the maid-of-honor and the third bridesmaid, Marissa. His face, while showing his affections for Marissa, begged her to get him out of the situation. It didn't help that the maid-of-honor kept sending longing looks in Cam's direction. She pointed at her brother. "Should we rescue him?"

Cam followed her gaze. "Nah. He seems to be having the time of his life."

Deanna laughed and continued to eat, ignoring the maid-of-honor's glances.

The evening ended on Cam's cue. As best man, his duty to provide an entertaining bachelor party had just begun. He quickly kissed Deanna's cheek and stood. The movement caught the attention of the entire wedding party, and the other two groomsmen and Danny took their places. Cam stepped away from the table and addressed the bride and her bridesmaids. "Ladies, I'm very sorry to do this to you. But, as you well know, part of my duty as best man is to make sure that Andrew's last night of bachelorhood is remembered. So, without further ado, we will swipe him and take him away until the wedding tomorrow."

Deanna laughed along with everyone else as Andrew made a show of trying to escape while the three men around him drug him out of the room. The maid-of-honor moved to the seat Cam had just vacated, sighing dramatically when he waved from the door. "He can come crash my party any time."

The wave of jealousy and the desire to kill the girl swept over Deanna so quickly that her face reddened. Marissa quickly laid a hand on her arm. Deanna smiled at her and reached for the keys Cam had pressed into her hand. Once the evening ended, he and Danny would ride home together, and Cam would pick up his car. The arrangement had enabled both men to escort the ladies of their choice. Now, Deanna wanted nothing more than to use the keys as brass knuckles and break the maid-of-honor's perfect nose.

Marissa leaned toward her. "Let it go. She's trying to get under your skin."

"I know," Deanna muttered.

"For what it's worth, he's totally oblivious to her." Marissa smiled. "Let's go home."

Deanna looked at her, surprised. "Don't you have a bachelorette party?"

Marissa wrinkled her nose. "Not interested unless Danny plans to show up and do a strip tease."

"Ewww!" Deanna shuddered as Marissa's cheeks flushed. "Not the image of my brother I wanted in my head!"

The party broke up then, and the two women escaped into Cam's rental car. Deanna knew this wasn't his personal vehicle, but she could sense him here nonetheless. Marissa rode quietly, not interrupting her thoughts. When she arrived home, she thanked Deanna for rescuing her from an incredibly long evening with the spoiled maid-of-honor.

Deanna drove the rest of the way to her home in silence. She didn't like the side of her that appeared when the maid-of-honor commented on Cam. He wasn't a piece of meat, and he certainly did not belong to the other woman. Without warning, Deanna wanted to stake her claim on him and make sure that the other woman knew, in no uncertain terms, that Cam was off-limits.

These thoughts kept her awake as she paced the darkened living room. She'd slipped her shoes off at the door and had dropped her purse into the couch. She tried playing the piano and found that it no longer filled the void. A cup of tea didn't sit well on her stomach, and watering the plants in the greenhouse took no time at all. Finally, she threw herself back on the couch, angry. Why couldn't she seem to rest?

Sometime after one, the door opened, and Cam helped a very drunk Danny into the house. Deanna sat up, having managed to doze off while thinking about what the future might have for her and Cam. Danny blinked, and he tried to grin at her. Instead, he stumbled. Cam caught him, and Deanna led the two men down the hall and into Danny's bedroom.

She waited in the living room, keys in hand. Cam returned a few minutes later, rueful grin on his face. "Your brother spilled his guts on the way home."

"I bet he did." She shook her head. "There are reasons we don't keep alcohol in the house. My inability to handle the stuff, for one. And his very undesirable ramblings, for another."

He grinned. "You're a lightweight?"

"Half a beer, and I'm passed out on the floor." She followed him out the front door and stood on the porch. "You're pretty sober."

"When I saw how much your brother was drinking, I stopped at one beer." Cam shook his head. "I can hold my liquor, but I didn't want to risk being even close to the legal limit if I got stopped with him in the car. As it is, he needs to steam clean the inside before he takes Marissa anywhere. A man could get drunk on the fumes." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye when she tensed. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. I'm tired."

"Right." He turned to face her, his feet shoulder-width apart and his arms crossed over his chest. Sometime during the night, his dog tags had escaped from beneath his shirt and now glinted in the porch light. "Okay, spill it. Now."

Deanna stared out over the desert that formed her front lawn. "Just something that someone said as you left the dinner tonight. It bugged me, and I'm trying to forget about it."

"What was said?" He reached out and touched her shoulder when tears filled her eyes. "Hey, whoa! What happened?"

Deanna wiped at the offending tears, amazed that the jealousy had deepened into some basic need to know how he felt about her. "The maid-of-honor just commented that you could interrupt her party any time you wanted to."

Cam blinked. "Did you hit her?"

"No." She chuckled, her emotions still a little out of control. "Marissa distracted me with images of my brother doing a strip tease."

"Oh!" He choked. "Okay! That's a little too much information!"

"I thought so, too." Deanna sobered. "It just hit me really hard and made me think about us. About what you mean to me. And about what I mean to you."

Cam ran his hand down her arm and tugged on her hand. "Come here." When she allowed him to pull her close, he settled his arms around her. "You want to know how I feel?"

With her head against his chest, Deanna nodded. She hated appearing needy, but she'd never experienced this depth of emotion.

He took a deep breath. "There were hot girls there." He tightened his hold on her when she tried to pull away. "Hear me out." He waited until she relaxed again. "There were hot girls at the party. It was a bachelor party, and I arranged it for Andrew. Wouldn't want him to miss out on anything. But, none of them were you."

When she pulled away from him, he let her go. She didn't step back, however, preferring to stay close while she studied his face. He met her eyes, obviously having come to that conclusion a long time ago. "Really?"

"Yep." He nodded once and then smiled at her. "There are things you don't know about me, and things that I don't know about you. But, I'll tell you this much, Deanna Chandry, you're a one of a kind woman. There isn't a woman alive in this entire galaxy that can compare to you."

She struggled to breathe and tried to stop the grin. After a moment, she gave up. "Aw, man! I wish I'd hit her!"

Cam laughed and pulled her close again. Deanna slipped her arms around his waist, enjoying the warmth his arms provided. Feeling safe with him, she rubbed her face against his chest and smiled. "There's no one quite like you, either, Colonel Mitchell."

~TBC


	6. Chapter 6

The next afternoon, Deanna dressed carefully. Amber wanted a candlelit wedding, which meant the ceremony took place around eight that evening. Her mother, however, wanted the entire wedding party there early-musicians included. Deanna didn't really mind since she probably wouldn't get to wear this dress but once. Her concern, however, was for her state of mind after seeing Cam in his dress blues.

After last night, she had come to the conclusion that she was head over heels in love with Cam Mitchell. He made all of her reservations fly out the window with one simple grin, and he seemed okay with her dark past. Not that he knew what had happened. One day, when the time was right, Deanna planned to tell him about Alejandro and his attack on her. But not now. Not today. Even if Cam walked another woman down the aisle, he only had eyes for Deanna. That knowledge left her feeling secure.

Since both the groom and the best man would wear dress blues to the wedding, Amber had chosen sky blue as her wedding color. Deanna actually liked the bridesmaids' dresses, but she liked hers even more. Silver chiffon layers covered a floor-length sheath dress. A blue rhinestone brooch at the waist and a silvery long-sleeved shrug completed the look. Deanna had found the dress online and couldn't pass it up. Now, she wondered what Cam's reaction would be. She had bought it before she met him, but she now dressed with his reactions in mind. Completing the look with four-inch blue stiletto heels, she stepped back and surveyed her handiwork. Only her hair remained.

An hour later, hair piled in curls atop her head, Deanna entered the church to meet with the musicians. While the mother of the bride intended to torture the bride, groom, and every other member of the wedding party, Deanna intended to know her music. She hadn't practiced as much as she should have, and that made her nervous. Plus, she'd received a call from a singer planned for that evening. The woman's mother had taken ill, and she had to cancel. So, on top of playing the piano, Deanna needed to sing a song with which she wasn't familiar. She drew in a deep breath as the small group practiced. With Cam watching, carrying a tune would be interesting at best, disastrous at worst.

Half an hour before the wedding started, Deanna nodded to the guitarist and drummer hired to perform with her. They began to play the scripted music, allowing the love songs to fill the sanctuary of the church as wedding guests poured in. Andrew was a very popular man, and several pews filled with men in their dress blues. Deanna grinned. Amber had chosen the colors for the wedding well. All through the opening music and the processional, Deanna focused on her music. If she looked at Cam now, she'd lose every ounce of concentration.

After Andrew and Amber stood in front of the preacher, Deanna folded her hands in her lap and looked at Cam. Truly looked at him. He stood next to Andrew, chin up, hands behind his back, and looking very formal. She tried to keep her grin from her face but failed miserably. His uniform made his eyes stand out, and she thought she would forget to breathe. Instead, she wanted to hug him. Somewhere along the way, she'd moved from being overwhelmed by his appearance to being proud that he'd chosen her.

During the lighting of the unity candle, Deanna sang the portion she'd learned that afternoon. To her credit, her voice did not crack, and she kept her hands steady. Before she was really ready for it, the preacher pronounced Andrew and Amber man and wife. After the obligatory kiss, Deanna kept the music going as the wedding party lined up at the door. The guests exited, and then it was time for wedding pictures.

Deanna took her time packing her music, and she looked up just in time to witness the photographer taking pictures of the bridesmaids with their respective groomsmen. Apparently, the mother of the bride had requested this arrangement. Deanna watched as Cam stood stiffly beside the maid-of-honor, who plastered herself against him, gazing adoringly into his eyes as the photographer tried to get Cam to smile. At the exact moment, Cam's eyes met Deanna's, and he grinned at her murderous look. The photographer snapped the picture, and the moment ended.

Deanna left the church, willing to wait at the reception for Cam to arrive. When he arrived a few moments later, the maid-of-honor was hot on his heels. Rather than give the other woman the time of day, Cam grabbed Deanna's arm and spun her around, pointing her toward a secluded corner of the reception hall. The other woman stared angrily, and Deanna resisted the urge to give her a triumphant grin. Instead, she looked at Cam. "What's wrong?"

"I just found out that I have to dance with her." He sounded so put out that Deanna had to bury her laughter. He caught her. "You think this is funny?"

"Yeah, I kinda do." She grinned at him. "Just last night, I wanted to murder her. Now, you're trying to find a way to escape from her. You should just let me have a talk with her. I can explain the way things are."

"No, I can't." Cam's eyes widened in mock horror. "I don't want to be dating you in prison while you do time for aggravated assault or murder!"

Deanna laughed at the image of the two of them sitting at a candlelit dinner while she wore an orange jumpsuit and shackles. "That's an image I didn't necessarily want to consider."

He calmed slightly. "These formal things aren't exactly my forte."

"I know."

He leaned close and kissed her cheek. "Save a dance for me," he whispered in her ear just before joining the wedding party at the head table.

Deanna made her way to the seat she'd been assigned, not surprised to find herself a good distance from the bride and groom. She silently thanked the caterer for positioning her in such a way that she could see Cam as he gave his best man's toast. And he did a fine job. His hand shook slightly, and he spoke highly of the pilot that Andrew had been. He even shared a few jokes, including Andrew's call sign. Deanna suddenly wondered about Cam's call sign and made a mental note to ask about it one day.

After all the traditional wedding festivities, the DJ warmed up the sound system for the dancing. Andrew and Amber had decided to combine the father-daughter dance with the their first dance. Amber began dancing with her father, and Andrew cut in halfway through the song. Deanna thought it a touching symbol of Amber's marriage. Then came the dance Cam had dreaded.

The music could not have been slower, and the song more sappy. Deanna sat back in her chair, arms crossed as the maid-of-honor pressed herself against Cam. He wound up leading her toward him as he backed away, and Deanna grinned at his pained expression. Now that the wedding was over, he refused to hide his dislike of the obvious attempt on his bachelorhood. Deanna breathed a sigh of relief when the dance ended and nearly choked on her water when someone at her table commented that the woman clearly didn't know how to take a hint.

Two songs later, Cam appeared at her side and held out his hand. "C'mon."

"What?" Deanna knew what he wanted, but she didn't want to make it easy on him. There was something cute about him when he didn't get his way right then.

"Dance with me." He glanced at the maid-of-honor. "Let's show her how it's done. How a dance between two people in love should be."

Deanna's head snapped up at that statement.

"Yeah." Cam nodded. "I just said that."

Rather than arguing, she let him pull her to her feet and lead her onto the dance floor. Once there, she stepped into his arms, and all thoughts of jealousy faded. The music continued, and the photographer snapped pictures. People laughed, children squealed, and waiters served. But none of that mattered to Deanna. She was in Cam's arms, and she wanted to stay there forever. By the time the song ended, Cam had laid his forehead against hers and stared deeply into her eyes.

Deanna stepped away from him when the music ended, not ready for this moment. She'd managed to forget the wedding, the maid-of-honor, and his imminent departure in those few moments. She wasn't ready to come back to reality. Cam sensed it as well, and he tugged her out the door and into the night. The loud party faded as they walked hand-in-hand down the road, neither willing to speak and break the spell.

Finally, Cam cleared his throat. "Well. That was different." He glanced at her. "But very nice."

Deanna grinned. "I think so, too."

"So, what are we going to do about this?" He held up their entwined hands as he spoke.

"I don't know." Deanna shook her head. "I mean, I never thought I'd meet someone like you or that I'd feel the way I do. There are things in my past that I thought I'd never want to face again. And, now, I find that I'm ready to face them. To see those ghosts put to rest. But I'm not even sure how to do that."

"Will you tell me about them?"

"When I'm ready." She glanced at him. "Cam, just like you don't want to visit me in jail, I don't want to visit you in Leavenworth."

His head snapped around. "That bad?"

"Danny almost killed the guy."

He stopped walking and faced her for a moment. "Promise me you'll tell me what happened sometime. I'd prefer soon, but I know that's your decision."

"I'll tell you sometime soon." She smiled at him. "Let's not ruin the evening, though. Even if I have to come to Colorado, I'll tell you face to face. Just, not tonight."

"Fair enough." Suddenly, he became the man she knew from the previous weeks. The effect of the dance wore off quicker than she wanted and put her back on familiar footing with him.

"So, about this." She motioned between the two of them. "Long distance relationships are difficult at best."

"But not impossible." He stopped walking and faced her. "I'm only in Colorado, not overseas. Besides, this is military life."

"I know." She shrugged. "Air Force brat, remember?" After a moment, she let out a deep sigh. "You said you're an impatient man."

"I might have misspoke." He settled his hands on her shoulders. "I'm normally an impatient man. You bring out the best in me."

Deanna grinned at him, not entirely sure how to respond to that. Rather than saying something stupid, she chose to go back to their previous topic. "I'm just not sure I'm ready to leave New Mexico. I mean, the business could probably move, but I'm not sure that's the best course of action for the two of us."

Cam took that gracefully. "I've thought about that, too. You've got your brother to think about. I just have me."

"I'm glad you understand."

"Hey, we've got something special here." He shook his head. "I'm not going to let that go. I think we've got something worth the time, the energy, and the trips back and forth from Colorado."

Deanna smiled. "I think so too."

"So, what do you want to do tomorrow evening?" He took her hand and turned her back toward the wedding reception. "Something spectacular that will last more than just a few days."

They walked slowly, not wanting the evening to end. At the reception, Cam led her to a corner table far enough from the center of the action that they could talk without being noticed. He scooted their chairs together and draped his arm across her shoulders. Deanna sat and chatted, already dreading the following evening. She'd just found him, and she wasn't ready to say goodbye.

~TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Cam stared at the greenhouse, knowing he'd find Deanna inside. Danny had just met him as he parked in the driveway and shook his hand. Cam waved and continued toward Deanna's office. This was the day he'd dreaded. Today, he'd have to break her heart.

Not wanting to dwell on that fact, he opened the door and stepped inside. The smell of soil combined with fertilizer swept over him, and he looked around. Deanna often said she came here to relax, and he understood why. This place full of plants in orderly rows soothed him. It brought him back to nature, he supposed. Toward one end of the greenhouse, a door stood open, and he heard Deanna's voice coming from inside. She must be on the phone, and he hated that he would have to interrupt a business call. Rather than walking directly toward her, he wandered the aisles of plants, admiring the flowers and greenery, until he heard her end the phone conversation. Then, he knocked on the door jamb.

Deanna's head came up. "Cam." Her face fell at his look. "Oh, no."

"Yeah." He closed the door behind him, thankful that Danny had been headed out to a job. He did not want an audience for this. "I'm sorry."

She blinked several times and looked at her desk as several emotions washed over her face. Finally, resolve set in, and she lifted her head. "I understand."

"Doesn't make it easy, though."

"No." She stood and came around the desk, stepping into his arms when he touched her shoulder. After a moment, she sniffled. "Sorry. I was gearing myself up to deal with this tomorrow, not today."

"I understand." Cam wanted to hit someone. Anyone. But duty called, and he was needed back at base. That was all Landry would say. Rather than speaking, he rubbed Deanna's back and tried to offer his strength to her. When she pulled back, he gave her a tiny smile. "There's Labor Day."

She nodded, acknowledging their plans to meet in Colorado Springs over the long weekend a month away. "In a month." Her hands pressed against his chest, and one finger ran along the chain holding his dog tags. "Be careful. Okay?"

"Hey, I'm always careful."

"How much longer do you have?"

"I'm already supposed to be on the road, but I can press the speed limit a little." He squeezed her shoulders. "I wish it was long enough to take you out for a little while."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't be good company anyway."

They stood there for a long moment, neither wanting the other to leave. Cam suddenly felt the strain of his job even more acutely than when he went home to Kansas. If he could only explain things to Deanna, she'd understand. She knew the stresses of military life from a daughter's and cousin's point of view. Cam wished he wasn't putting her through this. Instead, he opted to end the encounter so that Labor Day could come quicker. "Hey, I brought you something."

"Really?" She waited while he pulled a large envelope from his jacket. "Can I open it now?"

"If you want."

She walked around her desk and settled into her chair, reaching for the letter opener lying in the top drawer. Cam followed, perching on the edge of the desk as she opened the card. An official picture of him in his dress blues, standing in front of an American flag, fell out of the card. She grinned, ignoring the credit card that accompanied it. "This is awesome!"

"If you think so."

"I think so." Her eyes fell on the prepaid Visa. "What is this?"

"The money I was going to spend on you tomorrow evening," he explained, referring to their planned date. Cam had intended to take her shopping after an incredibly nice dinner, but Landry's call squelched those plans. "I want you to get something that reminds you of me."

"Cam-"

"Don't," he interrupted her. "Don't do that. Don't say you really can't accept this."

Deanna stood suddenly. She laid a hand on his face. "You're a good man, Cam Mitchell. Probably the best."

"Oh, I don't know about that." He glanced away, surprised at the effect her words had on him. "I know a lot of men a lot better than me."

"Really? I need to meet these men one day." She grinned. "See if you're telling the truth."

"The only way you'll meet them is with me at your side to make sure they behave!" He pushed himself off of the desk and faced her. "If they get to know you like I have, they'll be so jealous they won't know what to say."

She smiled again, and he leaned in to kiss her. Rather than shying away, like she had the first time, she returned the kiss. Cam kept it light, not wanting to pressure her. Still, it carried all the emotion he felt for her. When he finally pulled away, tears stood in her eyes. He cupped her jaw with his hand and tried to smile. "I'll see you on Labor Day."

"Yeah," she said weakly, "Labor Day."

With that, Cam walked out of the office. He hated goodbyes. The last time he'd seen his parents had been after his recovery from crashing in Antarctica. His mother had cried, but it hadn't affected him like Deanna's tears. Those tears in that office made him want to call Landry and submit to a court martial for not following orders. A part of him considered it. But Cam walked around the house, drove into town, and returned the rental car to the agency. Once that was done, he stepped into an alley with no one watching and touched the radio in his pocket. "I'm ready."

The world dissolved into white, and he blinked as he looked around the briefing room back at the SGC. General Hank Landry stood in the office of his door, appearing to have been waiting for someone. Lt. Col. Sam Carter, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, and Vala already sat at the table. Cam tried to appear as though everything was normal as he joined them at the table.

Landry grinned. "Nice of you to join us, Mitchell."

"Thank you, sir." He sat down after the general took his seat. "What's goin' on?"

Daniel answered the question. "Well, the Tok'ra asked for a meeting."

"About what?"

"We're not sure," Daniel said. "They haven't been exactly forthcoming in their communiqué."

Cam looked at Landry. "So you're sending us on to a meeting with the Tok'ra to see what they want or need?"

Landry nodded. "That's right, son. You'll leave in twenty minutes."

"Yes, sir." Cam stood as the general, who really knew nothing more than anyone else in the room, returned to his office.

Sam, the one person in the room who read him better than most, stared directly at him. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Cam smiled as if to convince her. "I'll change into my gear and meet you at the Stargate." With that, he left the room and headed for his quarters. If he timed it right, he'd have just enough time to email Deanna and let her know he was home.

One thought stopped him from doing just that. She had no idea about the SGC or the Stargate. If he emailed her right then, she would become suspicious. Cam glanced at his watch and mentally counted the hours. If all went right, he'd get back from his meeting with the Tok'ra in time to email her and tell her he'd gotten home safely. The irony of it was that he really would be arriving home, just not from his drive back to Colorado.

oOo

Deanna waited until she heard Cam's car back out of the driveway. Putting on an understanding face was harder than anything she'd ever done. She dropped back into her chair, her lips still tingling from his kiss, and let her head fall into her hands. The tears that started when he first appeared returned with full force. For the first time, she didn't want Danny around to see her cry. Nor did she wish for her father's presence. Or her cousin's. The only man in the world who could make this better was headed for Colorado right then.

Once the storm passed, Deanna sat up and tried to pull herself together. The ache in her chest wasn't just emotional. The void left by Cam's departure physically hurt. To relieve that, she stared at his picture and smiled. Just like at the wedding yesterday, the blue of his dress uniform brought out his eyes. It would fit right beside her father's picture. No, it wouldn't. It didn't belong on her dresser. It belonged at her bedside, where she'd be able to see it when she awoke in the morning.

Deanna shut down her computer and cleaned her desk. With Cam's unexpected departure, she wouldn't get any more work done today. Instead, she planned to find out how much was on that credit card he'd given her and maybe go shopping. That wouldn't replace him, but it would give her something to do. Then, after she finished shopping, she'd figure out how she would get through the next month.

"Shh!" The voice stopped her as she locked her office.

Deanna frowned and faced the greenhouse. "Hello?" Her voice echoed slightly. "Is someone there?"

No one answered.

Deanna slowly walked along the rows of plants, trying to quell the growing unease in her stomach. Maybe she'd imagined it. Maybe her mind wanted Cam to be playing a joke on her and had conjured up the whisper. She managed to dismiss the strange sound when she rounded the corner. Her favorite plant, a pink double-petaled hibiscus, lay on the ground, the pot broken and dirt spilled across the concrete.

Cam would never have done this, she realized as she bent to clean up the mess. If Cam wasn't in the greenhouse, then who was there? Had Danny snuck back in with Marissa? No, he knew how protective she was of her personal plants. And this hibiscus was one of her personal favorites. Her eyes swept the plants, looking for something out of place. Nothing appeared, and Deanna simply shook her head. Maybe an animal had pushed the plant out of place. It had happened before. Content with that explanation, she carefully slid Cam's picture inside her purse and went to repot the hibiscus before more damage could be done. As she worked, she missed the greenhouse door opening and closing as an intruder let herself out of her hiding place.

oOo

Cam stepped back into the SGC, all thoughts now turning toward Deanna. The mission went well. The Tok'ra had discovered some Ancient technology, and they wanted Daniel Jackson to tell them what it did. This particular device didn't yield its secrets right away, and Jackson stayed behind with Landry's permission. Now, Cam was free to spend the evening any way he wanted.

After the post-mission physical, he reported in to Landry and then escaped to his on-base quarters. As he opened his computer, he glanced at his watch. It had been long enough for him to fly from New Mexico to Colorado and back. Rather than trying to make up some cockamamie story to tell Deanna, he opted for as much of the truth as possible.

"Hey," he said as he typed. "Sorry to take so long in emailing you. As soon as I got home, I wound up in meetings. I made it home safely, and everything is good here. I know how things are there right now. Just know this: I miss you." He added his name to the email and clicked send as he whispered, "A lot."

~TBC


	8. Chapter 8

"_I was worried when you didn't email, but I know how driving can be. Things like flat tires or other road hazards can slow you down. Sorry. I spent a lot of time yesterday telling myself these things so I wouldn't worry. Not that I'm trying to make you feel guilty or anything. It's. . . .Well, I don't honestly know if that's natural. I miss you, too. Yours, Deanna."_

oOo

"_Just a quick email to say hello. How are you? Sorry I worried you. Would stay on longer, but there's a briefing with my name on it. Unfortunately. Missing you, Cam."_

He closed his laptop and headed for the briefing room. Landry had a new mission now that Daniel had returned from helping the Tok'ra, and he would be out of touch with Earth for a day or so. He hoped Deanna understood when she didn't hear from him.

An email waited when he finally returned almost forty-eight hours later.

"_Cam, it was wonderful getting your email. Made my day. I went shopping with that card you gave me, but it wasn't the same without you. So, I had an idea. I'll go shopping and take pictures of what captures my attention. Then, you can tell me if you would buy it or not. While I know you, I don't know what you would buy. So, give me some ideas at least. Besides that, there's nothing new here. Hope everything is good with you. Counting days until Labor Day. Yours, Deanna."_

oOo

Deanna logged into her email account the next morning, hoping to have a response from Cam. Her reactions to his absence surprised her. When Danny came home the night Cam left, he found her on the couch, tissue box next to her as she cried. He glanced at the purse and shoes she'd left haphazardly lying in the doorway and asked what happened. Deanna told him about Cam's departure and that it hadn't been his fault. Danny listened sympathetically and hugged her. She'd needed that touch and, after giving her brother a watery smile, went to her room. She cried herself to sleep that night.

Now, she felt slightly numb. The ache caused by Cam's departure hadn't faded, but the sharpness of the emotions had. Each evening, she stared at his picture and tried to figure out the little things he'd want to hear about life in New Mexico. After all, what would interest a lieutenant colonel? She felt that she knew the real Cam Mitchell, the one under the brash Air Force pilot. But, the Air Force pilot influenced his reactions as well.

She found an email from him and grinned as she opened it.

"_I never thought about shopping together long distance. It's a different idea, and I'm willing to give it a try. I was thinking of something like jewelry or a stereo system. I thought about getting you a guitar, but I realized that you probably have more than enough of those in your house. I'm smart enough to know that you and Danny probably have more musical instruments hidden away than I'll ever own. One thing I did notice, however, is that you only have one small CD player for your entire house. So, I had thought about getting a surround sound system that you could set up in the living room. I know Danny would like it as well, but it would be yours. Well, need to go. I'll email soon. Maybe even call. Missing you, Cam."_

oOo

So they were shopping together online now. Alyssa sat at Deanna's desk in the greenhouse, the glow of the computer screen the only light in the room. She hated the subterfuge. Hated the fact that Cameron had disappeared and only told this woman. What had Alyssa ever done to him? He acted as if she didn't exist while this piano player held his full attention.

Alyssa rose and left the office, knowing the computer would go into sleep mode eventually. She had not intentionally broken into the greenhouse a week ago. She had simply followed Cameron. When he went inside and didn't come out, she had needed to see him. Something had changed. She could tell by his bearing that he was about to leave. The military man appeared, addicting her even more. Since he'd left, she wandered through her days, bereft. At night, she stared at the pictures she'd managed to take, knowing that they would have to keep her company until she found him. When she did, however, he would forget about this piano player. She would make him depend on her and love her and _need_ her. No amount of money or gifts could sway her from her belief that, while she needed Cameron, he needed her.

oOo

Deanna walked into her office the following morning, amazed that a week had already passed. She drew a deep breath and sat down to work, knowing what her plans for the evening entailed. Cam had mentioned calling her. She hoped he called that evening. She knew his schedule stayed busy, but the emails and suggestions brightened her day and told her how special she was. It only took a few minutes, and the emails came daily.

The greenhouse's screensaver circled on the computer monitor. Deanna frowned. "I thought I turned that off last night," she muttered as her cell phone rang. Without glancing at the caller ID, she answered it. "Hello?"

"Oops, bad time?" Cam asked.

Deanna dropped into her seat. "Cam! No, not a bad time. I just don't remember leaving my office computer on last night."

"That's a problem?"

"Yeah, I always turn it off." She shrugged as she checked the rest of her desk. Nothing else seemed out of place. "I'm a little OCD when it comes to the business and my desk. Everything has its place."

"Which is why that missing order a few weeks ago bugged you?"

"Exactly." She sat back in her chair. "I will admit that I have been a bit distracted this week. Certain emails are keeping me on my toes."

"Good to hear." Computer keys rattled in the background. "Hope you don't mind if I work while we talk. I have reports to finish, and I'm behind."

"Anything I can help with?"

"Unfortunately not." He sighed. "I wish you were here. I could take you out to dinner and a movie."

Deanna smiled, her eyes watering again. "That sounds wonderful."

"Yeah, too bad I don't get any time off until Labor Day."

"Can I ask you a question about your job?" She waved to Danny and mouthed Cam's name as she pointed to the phone. Her brother nodded and left her alone.

"Sure." He paused. "I don't know how much I'll be able to tell you, though."

"You mentioned Andrew's call sign at the wedding." She grinned. "I want to know yours."

"Shaft," he said immediately. "Cam 'Shaft' Mitchell."

"Isn't that a car part?"

"Yep. It opens and closes the valves." He chuckled. "You're the first civilian woman to get that."

"Twin brother who likes to occasionally tinker with the machines he uses on the job." Deanna shrugged. "I pick up a few things."

"Yeah, life does that." A chair squeaked in the background, and he whispered, "Hang on."

A moment later, an older fatherly voice came over the line. "As you were, Son."

Deanna waited, knowing the call was over.

Cam finally spoke again, "Dee, I'm gonna have to let you go."

"I figured." She smiled. "Don't know who's there, but you should know that I miss you. A lot."

"I miss you, too." His voice had softened slightly in spite of his audience. " 'Bye."

Deanna set the cell phone on the desk, not entirely ready to begin her day. Hearing Cam's voice thrilled her, and she closed her eyes as she replayed their conversation in her mind. It would have to last until the next phone call.

oOo

"_Ms. Chandry, I know you don't know me, but I was the photographer at Colonel and Mrs. Baker's wedding. I snapped some pictures that I thought you'd like to have, and Mrs. Baker has given me permission to forward them to you. I've attached them to this email. Feel free to make as many copies that you want. Sincerely, James Frasier."_

Deanna clicked on the first attachment of the email and smiled widely. She and Cam danced, their foreheads pressed together as they smiled at each other. The second was one of them laughing at the table, and the third showed her smiling at something while Cam stared lovingly at her face. She quickly saved them to her computer, setting the one of them dancing as her wallpaper. Then, she added photo quality printer paper to her list of groceries for the evening. This was a great surprise! Even Danny would like these. Maybe. She looked at the pictures again and changed her mind. Danny would not want a sappy photo of his sister.

Cam would, though. She opened the email again and clicked forward.

"_Cam, these came in the email after we talked. Thought you'd like to see them. Yours, Deanna."_

oOo

Cam sat in the mess hall, using his laptop to type reports and trying not to think about Landry's visit to his office that morning. He had not explained his relationship with Deanna to anyone yet, and he did not want to tell his boss that he dated a civilian with no knowledge of the Stargate Program. For some strange reason, he wanted to keep things under the wire for a while longer.

"Oh, nice." Jackson's voice came from behind him, and Cam jumped. He'd been staring at a picture of him and Deanna at the Baker wedding. Fortunately for him, Jackson appeared as he looked at the one with the two of them laughing at some joke. "She the girl you met in New Mexico?"

Cam frowned at his friend. "What?"

"Oh, don't try to be coy." Jackson dropped into the chair across from him. "You've been different since you came home. Sneaking off to email someone and not really telling us anything about the wedding."

"Vala's been bugging you again, hasn't she?"

"Yeah." Daniel nodded. "Although, from the picture I just saw, I think she was right. She's pretty, by the way. "

"Her name's Deanna." Cam sat back, knowing that Daniel wouldn't tell Vala anything too personal. "She and her brother own a greenhouse and landscaping company. I met her at the cookout where the two families met each other for the first time. She was part of the band that played at the wedding as well."

"Really?" Daniel leaned forward as Cam closed the laptop. "So, things are serious?"

"You could say that." Cam glanced around and lowered his voice. "I'm not ready to buy a ring or tell her about the SGC yet, but I see where that could be in the future."

"Do you think she can handle it?"

"I don't know. She's got some stuff in her past that she hasn't told me about, and I intend to know all about that before things get really serious." Cam grinned, deciding to turn the tables. "So, when are you going to ask Vala out on a real date?"

"What? Who told you that?"

Cam continued grinning as Jackson sputtered and tried to explain that he and Vala were only friends. The dirty tactic changed the conversation topic and let Cam think about what to say to Deanna when he talked to her next.

"_Got the pictures. I'd forgotten how breathtaking you were at the wedding. Now that I have them, I can tell the guys here about you. Don't worry. They'll know immediately that you're off limits. Remember when I said I knew some good men? These guys are the best. And ladies, too. Though, if it were up to me, I'd shove Jackson and Vala in a room and lock them inside. Hopefully they'd work out their issues. Well, gotta go. Another briefing, another day. Missing you, Cam."_

oOo

Alyssa glared at the computer screen. Deanna had obviously received this email earlier today and responded with a similarly upbeat and sappy email. It grated on Alyssa's nerves. How could someone like Cameron stoop to such depths?

Angry and needing something to do, Alyssa left the greenhouse office and went to the back door of the house. She knew how to pick locks, and she decided to figure out what this woman had on Cameron. She obviously knew something, or he wouldn't cower to her in such a disgusting manner. Men like Cameron didn't deserve to cower. They should be free to do what they wanted.

Alyssa slipped through the house, careful to leave things in the kitchen and living room undisturbed. Deanna's bedroom, however, surprised her. She moved around the bed, staring in amazement at all the military men this woman had clearly seduced. It was like a wall of shame! Cameron's picture sat next to the bedside, while another stocky military officer stared from the dresser. A third man, this one older, stood in front of an American flag, all dignified and proper. Alyssa picked up each picture in turn, wondering who they were and what had happened to them. She knew this Deanna was up to no good.

Alyssa couldn't let Cameron succumb to this woman's wiles. He was too good of a man to be seduced by her. Somehow, she would find a way to free him. Then, maybe, he'd see her for what she truly was: his liberator and only soul mate.

oOo

Deanna laughed as she opened the front door of her house. After receiving Cam's email that day, she was grateful he'd called that evening. While he didn't tell her anything about the job, he did tell her about this Jackson and Vala. It seemed the two had some sort of unrequited and occasionally embarrassing bond between them that irritated everyone around them. At least, that's the way Cam described it.

In her bedroom, she stopped.

Cam recognized her sharp breath. "What? What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure." Deanna scanned the room, trying to figure out why she suddenly wanted to run. "Something's not right."

"Tell me about it."

"I'm in my bedroom. Everything is in the right place, but it's not." She shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe I'm imagining it."

"Walk carefully around the room. Tell me if anything is out of place."

Deanna followed his instructions and noticed how the dust had been disturbed on her pictures. "I found it. I think. It's like my pictures of you and Dad have been moved." She sighed. "Maybe I bumped the dresser."

"Maybe." Cam didn't sound happy. "Just be careful. Let me know if you suddenly sense anything like this again."

"I will." She smiled and dropped onto her bed. His concern warmed her heart, and she stared at the ceiling. It was time to email someone else. After she ended the call with Cam, she went to her office.

"_Evan, I know you don't hear from me as often as you would like. Life just gets busy. But there's something you need to know. I met someone. His name is Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, USAF. Yeah, go figure. The military runs in the family. Anyway, he was down in New Mexico for a friend's wedding, and we met then. Since that time, we've been seeing each other as much as possible. He's stationed at Peterson air base in Colorado, and it's killing me to have him so far away. I'm in love with him, Ev. I know it, and I just need to find a way to tell him. Given the fact that you're also in the Air Force, I wanted you to be aware of what was happening. Hope everything is going well over there. I know Aunt Paige misses you. I miss you. Looking forward to seeing you on leave in a couple weeks. Deanna."_

~TBC


	9. Chapter 9

The usual alarms sounded as Atlantis made their scheduled dial in. Cam walked into the gate room, knowing that something more than data arrived today. He'd met Major Lorne on his last trip to Atlantis and liked the guy.

As he waited for the major to arrive, Cam thought about his week. He had two missions scheduled for the next few days and, barring complications, would head back to New Mexico after they were completed. Deanna had bought the stereo system he recommended, fussing about the price as she did so. Cam buried a grin. She fussed simply to pick on him, and he knew it. Their plans for his quick trip to New Mexico included installing the stereo system in her house, cooking in her kitchen while Danny and Marissa manned the grill, and taking long walks. It was all very domestic, and Cam found he liked to share the little things with Deanna.

Lorne appeared through the gate with two large bags slung over his shoulder. Cam stepped forward. "Welcome to Earth, Major."

"Thank you, Sir." Lorne stepped off the metal ramp. "It's good to be here."

As they walked out of the gate room, Cam searched for something to say. "Only two weeks back?"

"Yeah, and then three weeks on the _Daedalus_ to get home."

Cam's eyes slid toward him. "Home, huh?"

Lorne grinned. "It grows on you."

"That's what I've been told." Cam led the way toward the infirmary.

"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"Granted," Cam said without thinking.

Lorne stopped in the hallway and faced him. "What's this I hear about you and Deanna Chandry?"

Cam blinked and felt his jaw drop open. He knew gossip traveled fast. Only Daniel knew how serious his relationship with Deanna had become, but the entire base knew that Cam had a new woman in his life. Most speculated on the various female members of the SGC. "How on Earth did you hear about that?"

"Oh," Lorne said, his eyes narrowing as he grinned again, "little thing about her dad being my mom's brother."

Cam's head started hurting. "You're the cousin?"

"Yep."

"And your mom's 'Aunt Paige?'"

"Yep."

"Oh, boy." Cam turned and began walking again. "She told me she had a cousin in the military, stationed overseas. I just assumed she meant Iraq or Afghanistan. Somewhere like that."

"Not Atlantis?"

"No."

"Imagine my surprise when I got an email from her, telling me all about you." Lorne shook his head ruefully.

Cam laughed. "Yeah, that had to be weird." He glanced at Lorne again. "Okay, _this_ is weird." Before either man could respond to that, a cell phone rang. Cam fished it out of his pocket and glanced at the caller ID before answering. "Danny?"

"Get to New Mexico." Danny's voice sounded weak. Panicky.

"Whoa, hold on a minute." Cam frowned as Lorne's head came up. "What's going on?"

"There was an accident. Deanna's hurt. Bad. They're taking her into emergency surgery right now."

"How bad is bad?"

"She coded right after they got her here." Danny drew in a ragged breath. "She's still alive, but they're working on her."

Cam stared at Lorne for about ten seconds as he tried to breathe. He wasn't supposed to get phone calls like this about Deanna. She had a safe job, worked in an office and greenhouse. _He _was the one who drew the hazard pay and gunfire. The few seconds of shock passed, and Cam took off at a dead run. He heard Lorne speaking behind him and ignored the man. Cousin or not, this was Deanna.

Cam rounded a corner and saw Daniel and Vala up ahead. "Make a hole!"

Vala flattened herself against the wall, and Daniel frowned as he ran past. "Cam?"

He didn't answer and knew they would follow him if only to figure out where the fire was. In the briefing room, Cam peeked through the plexiglass window and saw that Landry wasn't on the phone. Rather than knocking, he just burst into the room.

Landry jumped slightly. "Colonel Mitchell?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"Sir, I apologize for barging in like this, but I need a really big favor." Cam tried to calm his heart and breathe normally. It had nothing to do with his run to the office. Hearing Danny's panicked voice tell him that Deanna might die without him there made breathing a difficult proposition.

Landry stared as Lorne, Daniel, and Vala entered the office. "Well, out with it, son."

"I need some time off and a chopper down to New Mexico."

"Any particular reason?" Landry asked.

"My. . . ." Cam glanced over his shoulder and realized he'd have to be completely honest with Landry to get this request granted, no matter if Vala over heard. He covered his mouth with his hand and forced his heart rate to slow. "My girlfriend was in a severe car accident. They don't know if she's going to make it."

Landry blinked. "Girlfriend? Is this a serious relationship?"

"Very." Cam looked at Lorne this time.

Landry nodded. "Okay. I'll have a chopper waiting for you."

For the first time in his life, Cam Mitchell wanted to hug the man. "Thank you, Sir." He nodded to Lorne. "I'll be ready in ten."

Lorne accepted the invitation with a nod. "Yes, Sir."

Vala started speaking, but Daniel shushed her. Cam appreciated that. He didn't want to answer inane questions about his girlfriend when she might be dying somewhere without him. Ten minutes later, his duffel bag in hand, he found Teal'c and Sam waiting with Daniel, Vala, and Lorne at the elevator. "Guys."

Sam gave him a sympathetic look. "Daniel told us."

"Indeed," Teal'c added. "Please pass along our regards, Colonel Mitchell."

Cam nodded. "Thanks." Minutes later, he and Lorne sat silently in a chopper bound for Holloman Air Force Base in southern New Mexico. Cam stared at the ground passing below them and sent a silent prayer toward heaven.

oOo

Danny met them in the hospital lobby. Cam had texted him when they landed, and he led them to a private waiting room. Then, he turned. "Evan, didn't know you were back."

Lorne glanced at Cam briefly. "Just got back. Didn't know the colonel and Deanna knew each other."

Wanting to give the cousins the courtesy of a short greeting, Cam waited until Danny looked at him. "What happened?"

"She fell asleep." Danny shrugged. "I've never known Deanna to do something like that, but it has been an interesting few weeks. I know she's not sleeping well, and she's been on edge lately. I guess it got to her. She fell asleep at the wheel and strayed into another lane, clipping the car there. The other driver doesn't want to press charges-thank God. He's pretty shaken up about the whole thing. His car ran into a guard rail. Deanna's flipped and went down a ravine."

Cam rubbed both hands over his face. Deanna probably hadn't slept well since he left New Mexico. No. Cam stopped that train of thought immediately. He knew that she understood the pressures of his job. He let out a deep breath. "Has she said anything to you about stuff missing or strange events?"

Danny frowned. "She said that she's been forgetting to turn the computer off in the office at night. Which, now that you mention it, is strange since she's very OCD about her desk. She turns that computer off every night."

Cam watched the man puzzle that out in his head and sat down in a chair with a sinking suspicion. A few days ago, he'd been talking to Deanna when she reacted to something in her room. He'd heard the forced cheerfulness in her voice. She'd put on a happy face for him, not wanting to worry him.

Lorne sat down next to him. "Sir, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure, yet." Cam shrugged. "Let's see how things go."

Lorne accepted that and sat back in his chair. Cam admired the man's calm demeanor and wished he could replicate it. After all, the hospital staff would frown if he started running laps around the halls to relieve the tension building in his stomach. Before he could dwell too much on the thought, the waiting room door opened. Marissa charged through and directly into Danny's arms.

She hugged him fiercely. "Danny, I'm so sorry!" After a moment, she touched his face. "How is she?"

"I don't know."

Cam stood, along with Lorne. Marissa turned and made her way to Cam, giving him a quick hug. "I'm glad you're here. She'll need you." She noticed Lorne. "Friend of the family?"

Lorne blinked, still surprised at her familiarity with Danny. "No. I'm a cousin."

Marissa reached out and shook his hand. "Marissa Richman."

"Evan Lorne."

"Nice to meet you, but I wish it was under better circumstances." She moved back to Danny's side. "I spoke with my boss. I'm here until we get word."

Danny pulled her back into a hug, and Cam turned his back to give them some privacy. Lorne followed suit and grinned. "There's a lot Deanna didn't tell me."

Cam appreciated his subject change. He glanced at Marissa and Danny still wrapped in each others arms. "Imagine my reaction to seeing Danny burn steaks on the grill because that particular lady appeared."

Lorne's grin widened briefly. Then, he sobered. "Dee's gonna pull through this."

"I know." Cam frowned at the wall. "I just hope I don't have to ask for an even bigger favor to make that happen."

Lorne touched his shoulder and left him brooding in the corner. With Deanna in surgery, he had nothing to do but think. For the first time in his life, he realized what his mother went through when his dad lost his legs. And when he crashed over Antarctica. If he lost Deanna. . . . He refused to finish the thought.

~TBC


	10. Chapter 10

The waiting began. Cam dropped into a chair, leaving the couch for Danny and Marissa. Those two curled into each other's arms and drew comfort from their relationship. Cam wished he had that. Of course, the woman he'd want at his side was lying on an operating table as doctors frantically tried to save her life.

People began arriving. First, the Hispanic bass player from Deanna's band appeared. He glanced curiously at Cam but didn't speak. Lorne ran his hands through his hair and moved to greet the guy. A little while after that, the lead singer entered the waiting room. She introduced herself as Leah and asked how he was holding up. Cam appreciated her acceptance of his noncommittal answer.

Andrew Baker appeared last with his wife in tow. He still wore his uniform, having come directly from work. Lorne noticed his rank and stood in respect.

Cam stood and walked over to the door. "Bach."

"Shaft." The two men shook hands. "How is she?"

Cam shrugged. Then, he turned to Lorne. "This is Major Evan Lorne. He's Deanna's cousin. Major, meet Lt. Colonel Andrew Baker, a friend of mine from flight school."

Baker glanced at his uniform and took off his jacket. "At ease, Major. Right now, we're all equal."

"Yes, Sir." Lorne settled back into his chair. "With all due respect, I wasn't aware that my cousin knew so many high-ranking officers in the Air Force."

A snort came from the couch, and Danny sat forward. "You forgot that your uncle was a retired general?"

Baker turned back to Cam. "A general's daughter and a major's cousin." He shook his head. "You're a brave man."

"For the record," Cam said as several other people slipped into the room, "I wasn't aware that her father was a general or that her cousin worked in conjunction with my own outfit until _after_ we started dating."

"All that classified work you do make you forget how to ask questions?" Baker asked. He grinned when both Cam and Lorne eyed the people in the room. "Relax, you two. I'm teasing Cam and trying to lighten the atmosphere."

This time, Cam straightened. "Yes, Sir."

Baker glared. "Keep acting like that, and I'll tell everyone how you got your call sign."

"Go ahead, Bach." Cam grinned, knowing he had Baker at a disadvantage. "I still know how you got yours and exactly how interesting things became after that."

Baker sank back in his chair. "I surrender."

Amber leaned against him, and silence again reigned in the room. Cam sighed, knowing that enough time had not passed for the doctor to come update them. Still, he wished for a report of some kind. This not knowing would kill him.

His grandma would advocate praying. Cam glanced at the Gideon's Bible on the side table and briefly considered picking it up. It would give him something to do.

"You know, He'll hear you." Leah saw the direction of his gaze and leaned close to whisper to him.

Cam thought about the Goa'uld, the Ori, and all the other things he'd seen over the years. "I stopped prayin' a long time ago." He hoped she wouldn't push the issue.

Leah accepted his answer with a nod and left him alone. Over the course of the evening, people wandered in and out. Cam learned that Deanna and the bass player, Tony, had gone on a few dates a couple years ago. While Tony still cared for Deanna, he happily welcomed Cam to the family. Leah had a six-month-old son and had left her with her husband. That man appeared for dinner, and the couple disappeared for half an hour. Later, when Leah came back, she looked more relaxed and ready to face the long night. She also carried a bag full of yarn and what looked like a baby blanket.

Cam and Lorne went hunting for the hospital cafeteria just for something to do. Cam wasn't used to waiting. He was a pilot, a man of action. Sitting around a silent waiting room waiting for death to come chafed at his action-oriented mindset. He couldn't handle that. He didn't want to remember the waiting room from his father's plane crash, and he refused to imagine that his parents had sat in one like this when his 302 went down. Now, he occupied one while waiting for Deanna to fight whatever kept her from coming out of surgery.

Marissa dozed off on Danny's shoulder around midnight. Cam stretched his legs out in front of him and twiddled his thumbs. He eventually dozed and startled awake when someone called Danny's name. He blinked the grit out of his eyes and glanced at his watch. It was three A.M. This was either good or bad news. Danny stood and motioned for Cam to follow him out of the waiting room.

The doctor didn't question Cam's presence. "She's stable." Straight to the point. Cam liked that. The doctor continued, "It was touch and go for a time. She had a lot of internal bleeding that we had to fight, as well as a ruptured spleen, punctured lung, and several badly broken ribs. She'll be on a respirator until this afternoon at least. Hopefully, she'll wake up by then and be able to tell us that she's okay."

Cam let out a deep breath. "Thanks, Doc."

"She's nowhere near out of the woods." The doctor shook his head. "Her left hand is too swollen right now, but it'll require reconstructive surgery. And she'll need to take it easy for a while. I'm still amazed that she survived at all. And that her legs aren't broken or worse."

At the mention of that, Cam clenched his fist. He had kept the memories of his own ordeal at bay for the entire evening, and this doctor wasn't going to engineer his emotional collapse from a single comment. "When can we see her?"

When the doctor glanced at him, Danny smiled slightly. "This is Dee's boyfriend. He's stationed in Colorado and was out of the state when she had the accident. I can visit my sister. I'd prefer to let him sit with her."

Sympathy covered the doctor's face. "I'll see what I can work out." He turned to go. "Give me a few minutes."

"Thanks, Doc," Cam said again. He stayed by the door to the waiting room while Danny told the people inside. There were a lot of sighs and exclamations of "Thank God!" He wasn't sure he truly believed in God, but he sent a prayer of gratitude skyward. The doctor returned and escorted him to Deanna's bedside. Whispering that he could stay so long as he remained out of the way, the doctor left him alone.

Cam stood over Deanna, his heart breaking into little pieces. She had cuts and bruises all over her face. Her hair spread around her head, a tangled mess of curls that would take forever to comb. Someone had washed the blood out of it, but little else had been done. Her left hand lay propped on a pillow, swollen to biblical proportions. IV lines and cords ran from machines to locations on her body. Her true condition caused him to sink into the chair next to the bed to avoid collapsing on the floor. Now he knew how his parents felt when they reached him after his crash.

"Don't leave me." Cam reached out and touched her right arm, afraid to do much more than curl his fingers around her hand. "I haven't told you everything about me, and I might never be able to tell you all of it. But I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. Don't leave me before I get the chance to tell you."

oOo

Alyssa watched through the cracked door as Cameron received news of his girlfriend's condition. She had not orchestrated the accident, but she saw it as fortuitous. Deanna would no doubt need a long and painful recovery period, and men like Cameron weren't designed to wait. He had needs and desires, and Deanna wouldn't be able to provide for him.

Alyssa's gaze went to the other man who appeared with Cameron. Major Lorne. Not quite as tall or attractive as Cameron, his muscle-bound body and warrior's grace made up for his short stature. Alyssa considered him as she settled into the waiting room couch. He looked like the sensible type, but he was also Deanna's cousin. Alyssa felt no instant attraction to him like she'd felt for Cameron. Not at all. She _needed_ Cameron in a heartbreaking way. But she might be able to _use_ this cousin to get close to Deanna. After all, it wouldn't take much to eliminate a woman who just nearly died from a car accident. Mistakes in medications happened all the time.

Alyssa rose, stretched, and left the waiting room. She had much to think about.

oOo

Deanna awoke the evening after her accident. Danny and Lorne had been allowed into the room for an hour, and Cam argued with Danny about trading shifts. After all, Deanna was the man's sister. Danny had stubbornly stated that Cam could stay with her as much as possible. After all, she'd just spent the last month pining for him. She needed him there.

In the middle of this conversation, Lorne held up a hand. "Guys."

Cam whirled, and his blue eyes collided with sleepy hazel ones. "Hey, darlin'." He glanced over at Lorne, who left the room to find a nurse. Seeing the fear starting to creep onto Deanna's face, he touched her right arm. "You're okay. You're in the hospital, and you're going to be fine."

Deanna stared at him, her eyes telling him that she believed everything he said in spite of the pain she must be feeling. When the nurse shooed the guys out of the room, Cam assured Deanna that he would return momentarily. Ten minutes later, he stepped back into the room and found her able to whisper. "Cam."

"I'm right here."

She smiled slightly, and her eyes moved. "Ev! You came."

"I heard you were hurt." Lorne stepped close to the bed. "I called Mom, and she understood why I'm staying in New Mexico. She might even come out here for a few days."

Danny interrupted. "Dee, we're not going anywhere. We'll be here when you wake up."

She clearly accepted that and fell asleep holding Cam's hand. He let out a deep breath and allowed the tension that had gathered in his shoulders to release. She was awake and going to be okay. He held on to that thought as Danny and Lorne said goodnight. During the darkest part of the night, Cam laid his head on the bed next to her and let a few tears escape. He never wanted to know how truly losing her would feel.

For three days, Deanna drifted in and out of awareness. She tried to stay awake, but the pain meds kept her asleep. Cam didn't mind. He knew that she didn't handle alcohol well. The same must hold true for medications. After three days, the doctors decided that the swelling in her left hand had subsided enough to do surgery. Cam found himself in another waiting room, this time accompanied only by Lorne. Danny had a business to run in Deanna's absence, and everyone else had to work as well. The two men paced and halfheartedly watched TV until the doctors told them they could see Deanna again.

Cam rushed to her side as quickly as hospital etiquette allowed. She smiled at him, still groggy but glad to see him. "Hey, darlin.'" He'd used the endearment when she woke up, and it stuck. "How ya feelin'?"

"Drugged." She chuckled. "But I don't use many medications for that reason."

Cam turned to the doctor who slipped into the room behind the two men. He sobered. "What's the news, Doc?"

"Well, I'm afraid it's not all good." He consulted the chart. "The surgery went well, and your hand should heal." He addressed Deanna although Cam and Lorne listened. "I'm afraid, however, that you might not recover as much of your motion as you'd like. I'm sorry, Miss Chandry, but there's the possibility that you might not be able to play the guitar or piano again."

Cam watched that news hit her and glared at the doctor. He'd lived through this. He refused to watch someone else go through it, especially not Deanna. Rather than dwelling on the memories, he spoke. "She'll play again, Doc."

Deanna moved. "Cam." Her voice sounded like she wanted to scream.

"No." He looked at her. "If I can walk again, you can play again. It's that simple."

Deanna blinked at him but didn't ask any questions. She drifted to sleep a little while later, and Cam allowed Lorne to drag him to a hotel room for some real sleep. Maybe, after he rested and showered, he'd be able to tell Deanna why he knew she'd play guitar again. Why he was confident she could overcome all the odds stacked against her.

oOo

Deanna woke during the night and called for a nurse. The pain had returned, and her left hand throbbed. She stared at it, hearing the doctor's dispassionate announcement that she might not play the guitar or piano again. Cam's determined statement echoed through her head as she tried not to think about the pain. _If I can walk again, you can play again. It's that simple._ What had he meant by that?

The nurse entered and stepped to the side of her bed. She tried to smile at him and waited while he added some medication to her IV line.

Then, he leaned close to her bed. "Don't call for another nurse." He glared, his eyes glinting in the faint light from the hallway. "I need you to deliver a message for me. To Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell and the rest of SG-1."

~TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Contains mild spoilers for "Bounty." Also, I have to give credit to Ani-maniac494 for her invaluable help with the next bit of the story. Without her willingness to listen to my ramblings, I would never have gotten these next few chapters ordered in such a way as to make sense. As always, let me know what you think. ~lg

oOo

Deanna stared at the man in her room. He wasn't an orderly, and he still hovered in her face. The pain meds began to kick in, and she blinked at him. If she fell asleep, he would hurt her. She was sure of it. To keep herself awake, she moved her left hand and gritted her teeth. Yeah, that pain should do the trick.

The man laughed. "You're a spunky one. I see why Mitchell chose you."

"Whaddya wan'?" she asked, the medication causing her words to slur.

"Tell Mitchell that Kefflin wants him dead." He smiled again when her eyes widened. "You heard me correctly. The medication I gave you won't knock you out for a few more minutes, and I'm sure you'll remember this message. Kefflin wants Mitchell dead for his part in Netan's murder. Netan may have been weak, but he was Kefflin's friend and comrade. If Mitchell doesn't deliver SG-1 and himself to me in three days, no iris on the Stargate will stop the Lucian Alliance from gaining access to this world." He eyed her again. "Got that?"

Deanna nodded, trying to blink back the tears.

"Good." The man hovered in her face again. "Because, my dear, if our dear colonel doesn't agree to the terms, the next accident you have will be fatal." He squeezed her left arm, causing pain to shoot through her hand. Then, he was gone.

Deanna stared at the curtain shielding her from the hallway's light. She'd been grateful for its privacy. Now, she wanted it moved. She wanted to be able to see exactly who came for her. Certain her visitor still lurked in the shadows, she fought against the medications coursing through her veins. If she fell asleep, she would die.

Danny found her dozing, and she startled awake at his entrance. Pain shot through her body, and her gasp of fear turned into a loud groan. She blinked, seeing the faint beginnings of dawn.

Danny came to her side. "Dee?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "I need to see Cam. I need to know he's okay." She looked at the door expectantly. "Where is he?"

Danny touched her right arm. "He's fine. Evan took him to a hotel so he could get a decent night's sleep. That man would stay here, at your side if we allowed him."

She accepted his answer but couldn't stop the tears from escaping her eyes. "I need to talk to him." She grabbed her brother's arm weakly. "Call him. Please."

Danny frowned at her but didn't question the request. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number from memory. Deanna knew that he probably called Cam several times a day. While she'd been laid up in the hospital, Danny took on the responsibility for the landscaping and greenhouse portions of the business. While the two men spoke, Deanna looked out the window. How had that guy gotten into her room? What was his motive? Who was Kefflin? What was the Lucian Alliance? All these questions swirled through her head, and she closed her eyes, determined to wait until Cam arrived to truly panic.

Danny returned to her side. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Deanna stared at him. "You probably won't believe me. I don't believe it myself." She looked at the window again. "I just don't know how he got in here."

"How who got in here?"

"The orderly." She shook her head. "He wasn't an orderly, but that's how he was dressed. And he gave me something. Must have been good because I felt no pain until just now."

Danny settled in the chair next to the bed. "He's on his way, Dee. What's all this about?"

With her brother facing the door and able to see who came and went, Deanna began telling him about her midnight visitor.

oOo

Cam hurried through the hospital, followed closely by Lorne. Danny had called a few minutes ago, sounding slightly worried. Cam wondered why. What had happened to Deanna? Had she taken a turn for the worse? That thought pushed him to her side as surely as if Lorne had shoved him down the hall.

Lorne's level head kept him from panicking. Cam had let the other man drive, seeing the humor in the situation. He went off world on a regular basis, was shot at, had crashed a space capable fighter, served on a space ship, faced down super-powered messengers from another galaxy, and had any number of strange and fantastic encounters, and the thought that his girlfriend might die sent him into a full-blown panic. Even he saw the irony in that.

In Deanna's room, Cam watched as Danny stood next to the bed. Deanna was in tears, and Cam stepped around the curtain. "What's wrong?"

Danny shook his head. "Sorry if I woke you. She had an incredibly vivid nightmare."

"It wasn't a nightmare," Deanna said weakly, her eyes imploring Cam to understand.

Danny covered his face. "Then what was it? None of it makes sense."

Cam held up a hand. "Whoa, okay. Danny, let the lady talk." He turned to Deanna. "You're sure this was real?"

"Yes." She faced him, shifting in the bed as much as possible. "Some guy came into my room last night when I called for some pain medication. I don't know what he gave me, but it worked. Anyway, he told me he had a message for you and SG-1."

Cam's heart pounded once in his chest and then settled into its normal rhythm. "What was the message?"

"He said Kefflin wants you dead." Deanna's tears returned, this time brought on by fear. "He said Netan was Kefflin's friend, and you're responsible for Netan's murder. You have three days to deliver yourself and SG-1 to him, or he will get around the iris on the Stargate. No where on this world will be safe." She stared at him. "What does all that mean?"

Cam waved her question aside. "Was there anything else?" When she hesitated, he touched her face and let a strand of hair fall through his fingers. "Darlin,' if you don't help me, I can't help you. Was there anything else?"

She nodded. "If you don't comply, he said my next accident will be fatal."

Danny exploded out of his chair. "What? How could you keep this from me?"

Lorne moved quickly, grabbing Danny by the shoulders and pushing him back into his chair. "Ever think your reaction was the reason?"

Danny glared at his cousin.

Cam leaned over and kissed Deanna's forehead. "I need to make some calls. I'll be back." When she nodded, he straightened and looked at Lorne. "Stay with them."

Lorne recognized an order when he heard one. "Yes, Sir."

Cam squeezed Deanna's hand and moved close to Lorne. "Are you armed?" he asked in a voice for Lorne's ears only.

"Yes, Sir," Lorne whispered back.

"Good." Cam left the room, knowing the pair were in good hands. As much as he wanted to protect Deanna, he also wanted to see her brother survive. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and slipped into a private waiting room. Then, he dialed from memory. "Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell for General Landry. . .Yes, Walter, I'll hold."

A moment later, another line picked up. "This is Landry."

"Sir, it's Mitchell." He sighed. "We have a security breach and foothold situation."

He could almost see Landry standing from his chair. "Tell me about it, son."

"Well, sir, it seems the Lucian Alliance knows where I've been, who I've been seeing, and how to get to them." He explained Deanna's late night visitor and what she'd been told. "If I don't get her out of here, they'll come back. Kefflin doesn't make empty promises."

"I'm aware of that." Landry sighed. "I'll begin the paperwork on this end. A chopper is on its way to transfer them to Cheyenne Mountain. I don't know how much of the Program we'll be able to reveal to them, but they'll have the best protection we can provide. Besides, it'll make things easier if they're here rather than there."

"Yes, Sir." Cam spoke with the general for a few more minutes, confirming that paperwork would be faxed for the transfer. Deanna would have to sign them, however, and convincing her was Cam's job. He hung up the phone and returned to the room. Closing the door, he faced Danny and Deanna. "Okay, I have permission to tell you a little of what's happening."

Danny stared. "Permission?" He held out a frustrated hand. "You're dating my sister, but you have to get permission to tell her what you do for a living?"

Deanna tried to touch her brother, but he sat on her left side. "Danny, sit down." She sighed weakly. "I knew Cam did classified work a long time ago. Sit, please."

Cam moved to her side. "Here's the deal," he began. "I did some work about a year ago, infiltrating a mafia organization called the Lucian Alliance. This Kefflin isn't known by sight, only by his actions. Anyway, I impersonated him and gained access to their drug shipments. Eventually, his leader, Netan, put out a bounty on my head. In escaping from the bounty hunters, I might have slipped and told one specific hunter that Netan was weak. We haven't heard from either of them until now."

Danny jumped out of his chair again, and Lorne wasn't able to restrain him. "You knew this danger existed, and you got involved with my sister knowing about it? How dare you!"

Lorne stood between the two men, his presence the only think keeping Danny from knocking Cam across the room. "Danny, stop and think this through. Would you put your life on hold because someone _might_ kill you?"

Cam glared at the other man. "Look, I know how you feel."

"Oh, you do?" Danny asked. "Because, right now, it's my _sister_ lying in a hospital bed from what was a staged accident designed to get to you!"

"Yes, I do," Cam said, gritting his teeth to keep from yelling. He pushed Lorne out of the way and got into Danny's face. "Last year, when all this went down, my home town and the people I care about were take hostage by a bounty hunter. I nearly lost the woman I thought I loved and my best friend all in one day! Now, you may or may not believe me. I don't care. But that's in the past. I'm in love with your sister now, and I will do _everything_ in my power to see that she's kept safe and alive. I have access to medical technology that would blow your mind, and you need to allow me to do my job."

"And that is?"

"Keeping the two of you alive to fight another day." Cam stayed in Danny's space, allowing the man to think about what he'd just said.

Before either man backed down, an administrator stepped into the room. She glanced around. "Gentlemen?"

Cam backed off and pasted a smile on his face. "What can I do for you?"

"I just received Ms. Chandry's transfer request." She moved around the three men at the foot of the bed and spoke to Deanna. "All I need are a few signatures, and you'll be prepped for your chopper ride to Colorado."

Deanna's eyes shifted. "Cam?"

"Sign 'em." He looked back at Danny. "You might want to go home and pack some clothes for you and your sister. You have about an hour."

Danny glared at him before looking at Deanna. She signed the paperwork slowly, taking time to glance over the words on the page. Cam waited, knowing that she'd do what he asked. Right now, she was too scared to argue with him. The arguing would start soon enough, however. He just needed the time to figure out how much he would be able to tell her about his work. After all, she had received the shock of her life last night.

Danny left the hospital, accompanied by Lorne. Cam waited until the hospital administrator exited the room before pulling a chair close to Deanna's bed. He took her hand. "You're going to be safe."

"I know." She stared at him. "I'm scared, Cam."

"I know." He squeezed her hand. "I'm taking you to a place with the best technology this country has to offer. Dr. Lam is the best doctor there is, and my people will be watching over you."

She smiled slightly. "Will I get to meet Jackson and Vala?"

Cam blinked and then remembered his email about locking those two in a room together. He chuckled. "You might regret that once you meet Vala. She can be quite a handful."

Deanna let out a deep breath and stared out the window, leaving Cam to his thoughts. Yes, Vala was a handful, but she was loyal. As soon as she realized exactly how he felt about Deanna, she would guard the woman with her life. Cam depended on that.

oOo

Alyssa watched Danny and Lorne leave the hospital from her place next to the door. Something was up. Danny walked with purpose and clenched fists. Lorne followed him, his gaze landing briefly on her before determining that she wasn't a threat.

Alyssa grinned. She was more of a threat than either man realized. After they disappeared, she threw away the soda she'd bought at the hospital's outdoor bistro and slipped inside. Deanna's room wasn't far away, and she walked purposefully down the corridor. At Deanna's room, she peeked through the door.

Cameron sat next to that woman, his hand gently holding hers as they spoke in soft tones. Alyssa couldn't understand what he said, but she smiled anyway. She couldn't wait to hear Cameron talk to her like that. Her heart clenched at the sight, the need for Cameron's closeness overwhelming her in its strength. She was losing him.

Afraid that she'd be discovered, she continued down the hall and slipped into an empty room. Sitting next to the bed, she forced herself to breathe. If she didn't act quickly, her chances of proving herself to Cameron would disappear. Unfortunately, she didn't have a plan. By the time she worked up the courage to pose as a distant college friend of Deanna's, the room was empty. Deanna was gone. And the nurses only told her that she'd requested a transfer to a different hospital. Alyssa walked out to her car and sat, staring at the picture of Cameron that she kept taped to her dashboard. She'd lost him for only a short amount of time. She had her contacts. She'd find him again. When she did, he would be hers.

~TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Deanna slept the entire way to the hospital near the SGC. Cam sat with her, allowing Lorne to deal with Danny. Not that he couldn't handle Deanna's brother. He didn't want to put the younger man in his place.

Cam understood. If Deanna was his sister, he probably would have hit the guy responsible for putting her in this situation. No one, not even Lorne, could have stopped him. That said a lot for the influence that Lorne had over his family.

Once in Colorado, Lorne took Danny to a hotel complete with security cameras and two SF bodyguards. Neither of the Chandry twins had been cleared to know about the SGC, which kept Deanna from being transferred to the SGC's infirmary where Cam preferred that she stay. With the direct threat to her life, however, Landry approved the transfer to Colorado before he obtained clearance from General O'Neill. Cam appreciated that.

Deanna woke when the medical personnel jostled her as they moved her from the chopper into the hospital. She blinked at the strange faces above her. "Cam?"

"I'm here." He appeared beside her. "You're safe."

She nodded, and he stepped back to allow the medical staff to do their job. Two SF bodyguards waited outside a private hospital room, and Cam recognized them from the SGC. He chatted briefly and then entered the room when the nurses allowed him. Deanna smiled from the bed. "This is nice. A private room."

"Yeah, courtesy of General Landry."

"He's your CO?"

"Yep." Cam pulled a chair close to the bed. "How are you doing? Really?"

She let her eyes roam over the room. There wasn't much difference between this room and the one back in New Mexico, except for the sunshiny yellow walls and trees shading the window from the outside. She decided to be honest. "Scared." When she swallowed, he found a pitcher of water. "I mean, I'm still in the hospital. I still have this hand in a cast and broken ribs and surgery to recover from. My brother still wants to kill you. And the pain meds are wearing off."

Cam grinned at her slightly jumbled explanation. "I can get a nurse to bring you more medication."

"No." She shook her head and touched his arm to keep him from standing. "They'll only make me sleepy."

"Okay." He sat down. "Look, I know I didn't give you the whole explanation, but Landry's working on it."

"It's okay." She shifted to face him and the door, wincing at the pain that shot through her body. "I knew you did classified work from the way you talked about it. I don't like it, but I understand. I'm used to the men in my life not being able to tell me what they do."

"Yeah, I guess you are."

"Speaking of which, I should have told you who my cousin is." She grinned at him. "I had no idea you knew Evan."

Cam opened his mouth to speak, but a woman's deep voice floated through the open door. "Is she here? Why won't these guys let me in the room?"

As an SF tried to explain that he had Landry's orders to allow no one but medical staff and Deanna's family into the room, another man's voice overrode the woman's protests. "Vala, she's been badly hurt. And threatened. Don't rush the woman."

"Oh, come on, Daniel. She's been in the company of men and strangers for the past week." The woman sounded put out. "I'm sure she'd like a friendly face."

Deanna watched as Cam covered his face with his hand. She let her grin widen. "Jackson and Vala?"

"Yeah." He stood. "You up for company?"

"Sure."

"You might regret it."

"Cam." She put just enough firmness in her voice to stop him from speaking. "Go let the poor woman in here before she climbs in through the window."

Cam walked toward the door. "You sure you've never met Vala? Because you just described her perfectly."

A moment later, a slender woman with thick black hair swirling around her face bounced slowly into the room. She smiled when she saw Deanna and proceeded to plop into the chair Cam had vacated. "Oh, my dear. You look like you've been through something truly horrible."

Deanna blinked at the sympathy. Not something she'd expect from the way Cam described Vala. "Car accidents do that to a person."

The woman grinned suddenly. "I'm Vala Mal Doran."

Deanna shook her hand. "Deanna Chandry." She included the sheepish man with glasses who stood beside Cam in her glance. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

The man moved forward. "Daniel Jackson."

Deanna grinned. "This will get interesting. My brother's name is Daniel, as well. But he goes by Danny."

Jackson nodded. "We don't want to crowd you since you just got here." He gave Vala a pointed glance. "But we wanted to see that you're doing okay. And if you needed anything."

"Pain meds that don't put me to sleep." Deanna took a deep breath. The pain in her hand had become unbearable. "It's kind of hard to find something that works without putting me to sleep for hours on end."

Another woman, this one wearing a white doctor's coat, entered the room. "What is going on here?" She glared at Jackson and Vala. "I left specific instructions that she wasn't to be disturbed until I had a chance to examine her."

Jackson tugged on Vala's arm, jerking her to her feet. "I'm sorry, Dr. Lam, but Vala just wouldn't take no for an answer."

Deanna held up her hand. "Doctor, please. I don't mind the company."

Vala beamed at her and patted her on the shoulder. "We're going to be great friends." Jackson pulled her out of the room.

Cam watched her leave. "That's what I'm afraid of," he muttered.

Deanna chuckled. "I like your friends."

"Just wait." Cam held up a finger as Lam tried to shoo him out the door. "Jackson's the only one who can really control her."

Deanna smiled again as he left her at the doctor's mercy. Carolyn Lam introduced herself and proceeded to do a thorough, albeit gentle, examination of her injuries. She glanced over the charts, asked for a blood sample, and said she'd return with some pain meds that might not knock her out as badly. As she exited the room, she allowed Cam to come back inside.

Deanna settled back into the pillow. "I didn't know moving could be so exhausting. And it's only noon!"

"Yeah, you had an early morning."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

Deanna took his hand, hearing the warning in his voice. "What did you mean when you said, 'If I can walk again, you can play again?'"

He took a deep breath and squeezed her hand slightly. "That's a long story."

"Cliff's Notes?" She stared at him, not allowing him to get out of answering her question. "I know I probably won't know all of it, but you said it like it meant something. What happened?"

"Long story short?" He squeezed her hand and lowered his voice. "Several years ago, I was flying an experimental plane over Antarctica. One of the engines blew, and I went down. The doctors didn't think I'd ever walk again, but I decided to prove them wrong." He shrugged. "I still had my legs, and I wasn't going to let them confine me to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. My father didn't even do that, and he doesn't have his legs."

Deanna blinked at him. The pain that crossed his face was too fresh for something that happened several years ago. She suddenly realized what sitting in that waiting room and then at her bedside cost him. "Cam, I'm sorry you had to see me like this."

"Don't." He glared at her. "Don't apologize for things out of your control."

"Is it out of my control?" she asked. "I mean, I'm the one that fell asleep at the wheel. I admit, even now, it seems a little surreal. Some things aren't adding up in my mind, but it was still in my control. If I was that tired, I shouldn't have been driving."

"That's life, darlin'. Sometimes, things just happen."

Deanna started to speak, but, like when Vala appeared, an older man showed up. "Is this a bad time?"

Cam jumped to his feet. "Not at all, Sir."

"At ease, Mitchell." The man stepped forward and held out his hand. "General Hank Landry."

Deanna smiled at him. "Deanna Chandry. Thank you for this, Sir."

Landry waved her gratitude aside. "We like to take care of our own. And, from what I understand, your dad was military, and your cousin serves in conjunction with my outfit."

"Yes, Sir, that's right." She tried to keep from wincing as she shifted on the bed again but failed miserably.

Landry saw it. "Well, I wanted to come introduce myself. Your brother is outside, demanding to be let in to see you. I believe Dr. Lam gave him some pills for you to take. She said they're a milder form of the medications they've been giving you intravenously."

"Good to hear it." Deanna waited until the general left the room. Then, she tried smiling at Cam. "I think I'm going to sleep for now."

Cam nodded. "I'll see you later." He leaned close and kissed her forehead. Deanna watched him go and settled back into the pillow as Danny came into the room. She allowed her brother to pour another cup of water and gratefully swallowed the pain pills. As she drifted to sleep, she stared out the window and thought about Cam. When he told her the little that he could about his plane crash, she fell in love with him a little more. That was a man capable of bearing so many things. She hoped she measured up.

oOo

Cam closed the door behind Danny and joined the group waiting just down the hall. Sam and Teal'c hadn't come into the room, but they were on hand. Cam appreciated that. While he wanted Deanna to know his team, he didn't want to overwhelm her instantly.

Landry started the meeting as Lorne and Lam joined them. "I've got a call in to General O'Neill. He's working on getting clearance for those two given the situation." He turned to Lam. "What have you got?"

"Well, I took a look at her blood work." Carolyn opened a chart and flipped through it. "The doctors at her hospital found this, but they didn't know what it meant. Basically, her blood work right after the accident shows that she was rendered unconscious by some sort of electrical discharge."

Cam's head came up, and he stared at Lorne. "Like a zat gun."

"Or a Wraith stunner," Lorne added.

Cam turned to Landry. "Sir?"

"Get back to New Mexico." Landry glanced between the two men. "You're closest to her, so poking around shouldn't be a problem. Find out what happened."

Lorne and Cam answered in unison. "Yes, Sir."

Landry glanced down the hall. "Deanna Chandry stays under constant guard. If anything happens, I'll have her brought to the SGC rather than here. Let's hope that doesn't happen."

Cam accepted the man's words and headed for a secluded location. Now that he and Lorne were alone, they could beam directly to New Mexico. As his world dissolved into white, he clenched his jaw. Someone had taken a shot at his girlfriend to get to him. That person would pay.

~TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Cam stood in Danny and Deanna's living room, staring at the painting over the fireplace as his mind dwelt on the last few hours. The New Mexico heat had sapped his energy, and he almost wished the lake in the painting was real. After their transport to New Mexico, he and Lorne rented a truck and drove to Deanna's crash site. Seeing the wide swath of destruction her car had caused as it tumbled into the arroyo did something to him. His heart stopped again, and he almost cried in relief at the thought that she even survived. He pulled himself together, however, as Lorne stared dispassionately. Cam envied the man's calm, but it wasn't the woman Lorne loved lying in a hospital bed with a death threat on her head. It was only his cousin.

Cam turned away from the painting and accepted the drink Lorne offered. Diet Coke. Lorne grinned. "Sorry. There wasn't any beer."

"There wouldn't be." Cam opened the soda and took a sip. "Deanna's a lightweight."

"Really?" Lorne's eyebrows rose.

"Yep." Cam grinned. "Half a beer, and she's passed out."

"Huh." Lorne sipped his own soda. "Never knew that."

Cam's grin widened when he realized he knew more than the favorite cousin. The grin faded, however, as he remembered the reason for their presence. "Lam thinks she was zatted."

"I know." Lorne settled on the couch and shook his head. "Doesn't seem right. Who would want to cause her such a serious accident?"

"The Lucian Alliance, apparently." Cam shook his head, his mind thankful that Deanna had been unconscious for that trip down the arroyo. Memories of his own crash in the 302 flashed through his head, disjointed glimpses into the chaos. He blinked them away. "It seems they're more than a little angry at me."

"So, who is this Lucian Alliance?" Lorne asked.

"The Milky Way's largest mafia." Cam dropped into the love seat and remembered seeing Danny and Marissa cuddling here. The thought made him shift uncomfortably. "After the defeat of the Goa'uld system lords, the Lucian Alliance took advantage of the power vacuum. They're into all sorts of things: espionage, drug trafficking, and mercenary work, to name a few."

"Nice people," Lorne quipped.

Cam nodded with a sarcastic grin. "About a year ago, I infiltrated Netan's seconds as Kefflin, the most reclusive of the seconds."

"Wait." Lorne held up a hand. "Netan? Seconds?"

"The Lucian Alliance was led by one man, Netan. He had a bunch of seconds who ran things for him. Kefflin is one of these seconds." Cam leaned back and let his head fall into the thick cushioning of the couch. "I impersonated Kefflin since he's incredibly reclusive. Out of all the seconds, only Netan knew what he truly looked like."

Lorne frowned. "So how did you fool Netan?"

"A nifty drug the Tok'ra gave us. One dose, and Netan believed I was Kefflin. Shortly after that, we destroyed a space train of evil Orville Redenbacher." At Lorne's raised eyebrow, Cam shrugged. "It's kassa, a highly addictive corn. They came after SG-1, and I managed to turn a bounty hunter away from us and toward Netan. We weren't sure he truly died. We're still not sure."

Lorne nodded again and didn't ask any other questions. Cam appreciated the man's silence. He now understood why Deanna nearly idolized her cousin. He pushed to his feet. The painting over the fireplace drew his attention again, and he moved to study it.

The majestic mountains rose from the edges of the canvas, creating the illusion of a secluded valley with a glistening lake. Sunlight glinted so brightly that Cam wanted to shield his eyes. Next to the lake, a lone evergreen stood strong, a testament of endurance. The breeze bent the top of the tree so that it seemed to bow down to the lake from which it drew its sustenance.

Cam drew in a deep breath and let it out. "This painting is like looking at peace painted onto canvas." He chuckled at his melodramatic thoughts as Lorne moved to his side. "I'd love to meet the man that did this painting."

Lorne glanced at him quizzically and stuck out his hand, the same grin he'd worn when he introduced himself as Deanna's cousin now covering his face. "Nice to meet you."

Cam, who had just taken a drink, choked on his Coke. After sputtering, he stared at the man next to him. "_You _painted that?" After setting down the soda, he shook his head. "Never would have guessed."

Lorne sobered. "So, this thing between you and Deanna." He eyed Cam. "It's serious, isn't it?"

Cam nodded. "Yeah. At least, for my part. I'm not ready to buy a ring, but I will be if things continue." He shrugged. "I can't speak for Deanna."

"Oh," Lorne said, grinning again, "I wouldn't worry about her. I'd worry more about Danny." He met Cam's eyes. "If it were my sister, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to stop me from hitting you when I found out about the Lucian Alliance."

"I know."

"With all due respect," Lorne said, "I almost _didn't_ stop him."

Cam rubbed his jaw. "I'm glad you did. Danny does manual labor for a living. His right hook probably hurts like the dickens."

Lorne nodded and dropped the subject. "You probably need to get back to the SGC."

"Yeah." Cam walked to the kitchen and dumped the remains of his soda. After dropping it in the trash can, he returned to the living room. "Let me know what you find out."

"Yes, Sir."

"Lorne."

"Sir?"

"I'm dating your favorite cousin, seriously thinking about proposing sometime within the next few months." Cam grinned at the man's uncomfortable expression. "Drop the 'sir.'"

Lorne's face relaxed, and his eyes glinted. "Yes, Sir."

Cam began to comment and then realized it would be futile. He waved a hand and activated the radio in his pocket. "_Odyssey_, I'm ready to beam back to the SGC."

oOo

Deanna woke to find Danny surfing the internet on his phone. She grinned at him and allowed herself to truly study her brother. Concern colored his face, and she recognized the worry lines around his eyes. She wished she could smooth them from existence. "Whatcha doing?"

He jumped at her quiet voice. "Dee! Don't scare me like that!"

She grinned. "Glad I could be of service."

"Only if you want me dead!" He tapped a few buttons on his phone. "I was chatting with Marissa."

Her head came off of the pillow in spite of the pain that caused. "Danny."

"I know." He waved off her warning. "I didn't tell her where we are. The guard dogs already had that talk with me."

"They're not guard dogs." Deanna glanced toward the door, grateful that he'd closed it. "They're here trying to help. And, if it makes it any better, they're following orders."

"Oh, is that what we're doing here?"

She blinked at the venom in his voice. "What do you think we're doing here?"

"We're here because someone _knowingly_ put you in harm's way." Danny stood, unable to stay seated for too long when he was this angry. "I tell you, Dee, that man isn't thinking straight. He tells us some cockamamie story about what happened and sends us here. I'm not fully convinced you really heard everything, but his reaction tells me there's more to this 'message' than he let on. And you know the worst part?" He waited until she shook her head. "Evan knows. Evan knows us. He knows what we're going through, and he knows whatever Mitchell dragged us into."

Deanna waited, sensing there was more to his anger. When he didn't continue, she sighed. "Did Dad tell us everything about his job?"

"That's different, and you know it." Danny's voice lowered a few octaves, telling her that he wouldn't back down from this argument.

Neither would she. "How is it different?" She pushed herself up, groaning at the pain as she did. The pain killers must have worn off while she slept. "Do you tell Marissa everything that you do at work?"

"I don't do incredibly dangerous work that could get the people I claim to love killed."

"Cam never claimed to love me."

"He didn't have to." Danny glared. "It's written on his face every time he looks at you. And that's what makes me sick."

"No matter what he feels," Deanna said as she tried to tamp down the anger rising in her chest, "it isn't different. You don't tell Marissa every little thing that happens at work because it's none of her business. The financial aspect and business side of our work is private. If you married her, it would be different. But it's not. And that's exactly what is going on right now. There just happen to be bigger ramifications for Cam than a single business in New Mexico."

"Yeah, like our lives."

"Danny." She stared at him.

"What?"

"Don't make me defend Cameron to you." She truly didn't want to fight her brother when she felt so strongly about the person coming between them. Cam hadn't deliberately pushed his way into their lives. He had appeared rather unexpectedly, and the relationship developed. Deanna hated what it did to her brother.

Danny stared at her. "So you're saying I shouldn't question his actions?" He stepped closer to the bed, punctuating his words with sharp jabs of his index finger. "His actions are what got you here in the first place."

"I'm not so sure about that." She could have yanked her tongue out of her mouth for saying that.

He stared. "Why?"

"Because some things aren't adding up."

"Like what?" When she hesitated, he sighed. "Listen, as angry as I am at this guy, he's working to find the guy threatening you. I can respect him for that. If you remember something that could help, he probably needs to know about it."

Deanna blinked, amazed that he'd gone from criticizing Cam to supporting him in such a short amount of time. "It's not anything I can put my finger on. More of a feeling than anything."

"Then tell him." Danny dropped back into his chair. "I would do anything to protect Marissa. If it was her in that bed, I'd probably do what Cam's doing right now. Doesn't mean Marissa's brother would have to be happy about it. You're my sister, Dee. It's hard to turn that off just because you have a guy in your life." He didn't need to finish the statement. After her last relationship ended so disastrously, Danny had every right to be overprotective.

Rather than argue with him, she let out a deep breath. "How's Marissa?"

Danny allowed the conversation to shift, and Deanna listened as he told her the little things that Marissa shared with him. As he talked, she thought about how they had done everything together as kids. Now, it looked like they were falling in love together. She shook her head. Only twins could do something like that.

oOo

Mitchell hadn't fully dissolved into white light when Lorne headed for the guest bathroom. Danny had given him a key to the house and told him to make himself at home. He intended to do just that. And to make sure everything was ready for his mom. Paige Lorne should arrive sometime this evening.

After a quick shower, Lorne slipped into Deanna's room. While he didn't plan to sleep in either of the twins' rooms, this house only had one guest room. He figured his mother would prefer the master suite, which Danny graciously gave to his sister. Without examining the room, Lorne changed the sheets on the bed and plumped pillows. Then, he looked around.

Touches of Deanna graced the room. A picture of his uncle stood next to his own official Air Force photo. Lorne stared at them, surprised that she kept them so close. He should have known by her steady emails, especially the one about Mitchell. Anther photo caught his eye, and he smiled. Cam and Deanna pressed their foreheads together, smiling dreamily into each other's eyes. _Yeah, she's in love with him,_ Lorne thought. _And he's as head-over-heels about her._

The doorbell rang, and Lorne left the room. His mom was early. He smiled as he opened the door, freezing at the pretty auburn-haired woman on the doorstep. "Can I help you?"

She turned. "Oh! I'm sorry. I was looking for Danny."

Lorne frowned. "I'm sorry. He's out of town right now. Can I pass along a message?"

"Actually, I was trying to get information on Deanna." She shrugged. "I'm Alyssa. I met Deanna back in our college days, and I was in the area to visit. I heard she had an accident, but the hospital wouldn't tell me anything."

Lorne smiled and stepped back. "Come in. Can I offer you anything to drink?"

She lifted one shoulder, looking around curiously. Then, she whirled on him, eyes filled with worry. "She's going to be okay. Right?" Her hand lifted and ran it through her thick wavy hair. "I mean, I heard that the accident was bad. Something like that makes the local news. And I'm scared to death-"

"She's fine." He touched her elbow and steered her toward the kitchen. Without waiting for her to answer his question about a drink, he found the teapot and some chamomile tea. This woman could use a dose of the calming herbs. "She had to have emergency surgery, but she'll survive it. Right now, she's asked for privacy."

"I can understand." Alyssa stayed at the table, fidgeting as he puttered around the kitchen. "I'm sorry to impose like this."

"No problem." Lorne smiled again. "You said you and Dee met in college?"

Alyssa nodded, and they spent the next hour chatting about his cousin and her love for plants. Alyssa shared some interesting stories about Deanna's college days, and Lorne laughed with her. This woman was very easy to like, and he needed someone to simply relax with him. As they finished their tea, another knock sounded on the door. Alyssa stood as he answered it. "Mom!"

Paige Lorne grinned at her son. "Don't look so surprised. You knew I was coming."

"Yeah." He glanced over his shoulder as Alyssa appeared with her purse slung over her arm. "Sorry. Just. . .um. . .lost track of time."

Paige's eyebrows rose. "I can see that. Can I come in?"

Lorne stepped back, amazed at how his mom could make him feel like he was in sixth grade all over again rather than the self-assured major everyone on Atlantis knew. "Mom, this is Alyssa. She's a college friend of Deanna's."

Paige's eyes raked the other woman. "I see," she said frostily.

Lorne blinked at her scathing attitude. "Mom?"

Alyssa moved. "It's okay. I was just leaving." She smiled at him. "You have my number. Maybe we can do lunch sometime. And, please, give me a call when you hear from Deanna. I'd love to hear how she's doing." She slipped out the door.

Lorne's eyes went from Alyssa's retreating back to his mother's disapproving face. "What was that?"

Paige turned, all traces of irritation leaving her face. "I'm sorry. But something about that woman sets my teeth on edge." She shook her head. "Son, stay away from her."

He nodded, not acknowledging the order.

She sighed. "Okay, I get it. You're a grown man." She looked around. "Tell me about this Cameron Mitchell."

~TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Cam returned late that evening. Deanna fell asleep before his arrival, an unfortunate side effect of the drugs still flowing through her veins. When she awoke the next morning, she studied his face. He dozed in the chair, his chin buried in his chest. The dark circles around his eyes told her that he hadn't slept all that much. But, he still held her hand even in sleep. Deanna smiled and squeezed his hand. He startled awake, earning a chuckle as he did so.

She grinned at him. "I wish I had a camera about now."

Cam blinked at her, clearly not making the connections. "Why would you want that?"

"Because I just got a glimpse of what you looked like as a little boy." She shifted in the bed. "You're cute."

"Cute?" He stood, growling in mock consternation. "I'll give you cute." He leaned over the bed, trying with all his might to kiss her. She laughed and squirmed away.

Someone cleared their throat behind him. Cam straightened, and Deanna peeked around him to see Dr. Lam. The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Trying to maul my patient, Colonel?"

"No." Cam's face took on an expression of righteous indignation. "I was just. . . ."

"Leaving?" Lam asked.

"No," Cam said again.

Lam raised her eyebrow again. "Yes, Colonel, you are. You've been going for several days now with very little sleep. While I know that's normal for you, it's not normal for my patient. Now, head home and get at least four hours of uninterrupted sleep, or I'll ban you from this room." Her voice left no room for argument.

Cam glared at her momentarily before turning to kiss Deanna's cheek. "I'll be back later."

"I know." She smiled at him. "Now, go before the doctor bans you from the room. I want to see you tonight, with takeout if possible."

Cam left then, muttering about how demanding she could be. Deanna continued to smile as he disappeared, and she looked at the doctor. "He was fine. Honestly, Doc. I'm not really all that tired."

"He needs to sleep." Lam went to the door and opened it. "Besides, you have other visitors." A tall blond woman with shoulder-length hair entered the room, followed by Vala. They both carried bags from the local mall.

Vala bounced to the bed. "Hello, my dear. How are you today?"

"Good." Deanna glanced at the other woman. "I'm Deanna Chandry."

"Samantha Carter." She set down the bag she carried and stuck out her hand. "Call me Sam." 

"Okay." Deanna noticed that Lam slipped out of the room with a satisfied smirk on her face. "I take it you two had Dr. Lam kick Cam out of my room." She frowned. "Lam, Cam, and Sam. Must get confusing."

Sam grinned. "It can. And, yes, we asked Carolyn to clear a few hours of your schedule."

Vala reached for the large bag she'd dropped in the chair. "You see, we thought we'd bring gifts." She upended the bag, and Deanna stared as a wide assortment of nail polish, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, face cleansers, eye creams, and makeup covered the foot of the bed. "I know being in the hospital isn't great on a girl's skin and appearance, so we thought we'd help with that."

Deanna sorted through the various items. "You didn't have to do all this. A simple shower and my hair brushed out would have been fine."

Sam set her bag on the bed, choosing to remove the items one at a time. "Yeah, we did. We've all been where you're at. That hospital gown isn't exactly the most comfortable, and guys don't think about the little things that make a girl feel comfortable." She pulled out several sets of underclothing as well as a cute set of pajamas that looked like they would hug her form perfectly. "I sorta had Carolyn snoop a little when they brought you in. Hope you don't mind. I wanted to get the right sizes."

The door to the room opened again, and Lam slipped inside, pushing a wheelchair. "Okay, I'm off shift now."

Deanna blinked. "This early?"

"I traded someone for the night shift. Wouldn't want to miss this." She smiled, softening the doctor's exterior she'd kept up for Cam's benefit. "Call me Carolyn."

"Okay." Deanna stared, nonplussed. "I don't quite know what to say. This is all. . . . Thanks, guys." She frowned again. "I mean, gals."

Vala clapped her hands. "This is going to be so much fun."

"First things first." Carolyn pushed Vala out of the way and stood next to the bed to disconnect the IV. "I'm going to remove this today. I think you're moving past the stage for intravenous medications. I still don't want you walking around on your own just yet. Your internal trauma is going to need time to heal. But," she said as she patted the seat of the wheelchair, "how does a shower sound?"

"Heavenly." Deanna graciously allowed Carolyn and Sam to help her into the chair. She carried the pajamas, underclothes, and set of fluffy white towels in her lap to the bathroom. Carolyn expertly covered her casted left arm, and Deanna let out a deep breath as the doctor gently washed her hair. For the first time in a week, she felt almost human. The incisions from her emergency surgery got wet, and Carolyn gently dried and covered them before she dressed. Just having her hair clean and wrapped in the towel made Deanna feel like a new woman. The pajamas made her feel pretty.

Back in the hospital room, Carolyn transferred her to the chair where Cam had spent the night. Vala carefully rocked it back, revealing that it was a recliner. While Sam used a comb and leave-in conditioner to gently work the tangles from her hair, Vala set about sorting the items she'd brought as Carolyn left with promises of returning with lunch. After Vala applied a generous coating of an exfoliating cream to Deanna's face, she moved to her feet. Deanna blinked when the woman started on the first steps of a pedicure.

"Okay, I'm not sure whether to be impressed or embarrassed."

"Oh, be quiet," Vala said as she settled into place. "Sam and I just went to a day spa yesterday. We decided that, since you're in the hospital and couldn't join us, we'd bring the day spa to you." She waggled a lotion-covered finger. "Be still and enjoy it. I wouldn't willingly do a pedicure under any other circumstances."

Deanna grinned, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Well, you know, I'd return the favor, but, uh. . . ." She waved the cast on her left hand.

Behind her, Sam paused.

Deanna frowned. "What?"

"Nothing." Sam returned to combing her hair. "You just looked an awful lot like Major Lorne right then."

"He _is_ my cousin." Deanna settled back and began sorting through the nail polish that Vala shoved in her lap. "I have nothing on him, though. He can deadpan a joke better than anyone I know." She finally settled on a pale pink nail polish.

"So," Sam asked as she moved from one tangle to the next, "tell us about Cam."

"Yes, please." Vala grinned at her. "Cameron has been so tight-lipped about you that it's like trying to pull teeth. I want to know everything. How'd you meet? First date? First kiss? All the good bits." She grinned, showing all of her teeth as she folded her hands in a supplicating manner.

Deanna chuckled. "Well, we met at a cookout for the family of a bride and groom." She went on to tell them about her relationship with Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, leaving a few things out. She left out several key moments, such as when he told her that there wasn't another woman in the galaxy who could compare to her. She didn't quite understand it, but the compliment made her soft inside. Some things weren't meant to be shared, even with friends.

oOo

Six hours after he left, Cam opened Deanna's door. The paper sack he held rattled as he froze. Feminine laughter spilled from the room, and he glanced at the SFs guarding the door. They shrugged at him. Apparently the story being told in the room was quite good, because Deanna giggled from the bed. Rather than barging in, Cam chose to knock. When Deanna called for him to enter, he poked his head inside. "Is it safe?"

Deanna sat in bed, her hair around her shoulders and glinting in the sunshine. The curls had been combed and conditioned so that they caught the sun's rays just right. She wore a pink t-shirt that hugged her curves and gray sweatpants with a pink stripe down the legs that accented her waist and hips to perfection. She'd applied a light coat of makeup and looked happier than he'd seen her since the accident. Carolyn sat in a folding chair by the window, feet propped on the bed and drowsy smile on her face. Sam grinned from the reclining chair where he had spent the night. And Vala sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed, sorting through several vials of nail polish and makeup.

Deanna grinned. "Cam. Come in."

He stepped into the room. "Should I be aware of any traps set for me? I don't want bows or anything like that put in my hair."

"Why?" Sam asked, grinning at him. "It would be so cute!"

"Okay." Cam held up his hands. "I'm leaving." He made as if to leave only to hear the four women urge him back into the room.

Deanna leaned forward and frowned. "What happened to takeout?"

He shrugged. "Forgot. Brought these, instead."

She accepted the paper bag and peeked inside. "Macaroons?"

"My grandma's recipe."

"With chocolate!" Deanna pulled one from the bag and happily munched on it. "I'm so sick of hospital food."

Beside her, Sam shuddered. Cam grinned as he remembered her first reaction to the macaroons and how she had brought him a batch of them after his fight with a Replicator-controlled human being in the Ori home galaxy. Rather than commenting, he motioned to the door. "Sam? Can I have a word?"

"Sure." She stood and followed him out of the room as Vala and Carolyn began telling Deanna how they needed to leave as well. Once outside and out of Deanna's earshot, Carter turned. "What is it?"

"I just got to thinking this afternoon." Cam set his hands on his hips. "The doctors in New Mexico told Deanna she might never play the guitar or piano again. I know she doesn't have clearance, and we'd have to come up with one heck of a cover story. But what about the Goa'uld healing device?"

Carter shook her head. "It wouldn't work." When he scowled, she shrugged. "She had reconstructive surgery on that hand. There are pins and screws and plates in place. The healing device would actually make the bone to grow around them, causing more harm than good. I'm sorry, Cam. It's just not possible anymore."

He accepted that with a single nod. The idea of never hearing her play her music again still bugged him. "Thanks anyway."

"Yeah." Carter returned to the room, giving him a few moments to collect his thoughts. He wanted to hit something, but he chose to follow his teammate back to Deanna's side. The three women who had kept her company for the day left, and Cam settled at her side, content to enjoy this relaxed version of her.

Deanna grinned at him. "I see what you mean about Vala."

"I warned you."

"I like her, though." She snagged another macaroon. "She's a great person."

"Yeah, Vala's one of the few people I'd trust to get a job done." Cam sat back in the chair. "And, takeout is on its way. People deliver up here."

"Good. I'm starving." Deanna settled into the bed, allowing him his thoughts. After a while, they turned on the TV and found a movie to watch together.

oOo

Alyssa smiled at the man across from her as his eyes roamed over her hair. She had chosen her outfit and makeup to emphasize the auburn locks. So far, it seemed to be working. This Evan Lorne apparently liked women in green. Or was it women in color? She'd noticed the paint stains in the crevices of his fingernails when he picked her up. Was this soldier a man with an incredible soft side? If so, she could definitely use someone like him. Men with soft sides tended to be easy to manipulate.

As the conversation flowed between them, Alyssa considered her actions. While attractive, Evan wasn't Cameron. His name suited him, though, and his blue eyes sparkled more than they didn't. He stayed tight-lipped about Deanna's whereabouts, however. That didn't discourage her. She liked the attention. She just wished Cameron would have given it to her. If she found where he and Deanna had disappeared to, she would make sure he noticed her.

Evan's phone rang, and Alyssa nodded as he excused himself. He didn't walk far away, however, and her hearing picked up bits of the conversation. Apparently, his mother wasn't happy that he'd taken her to lunch. She caught the exasperated comment about Deanna being in Colorado while he made time with the pretty college friend. Alyssa smiled. Last night, a man had approached her as she shopped in the mall, telling her that he could help her get Cameron if she would just inform him of Deanna's presence. It seemed that they had something in common. Alyssa didn't understand why anyone would find Deanna Chandry attractive, but she willingly used this stranger to accomplish her own ends.

After the lunch ended, she waved coyly to Evan and disappeared into her car. As soon as his truck left the parking lot, she picked up the phone and dialed the number she'd been given last night. The man sounded relieved and grateful, and Alyssa drove home with a satisfied smile. Cameron would soon be hers, and Deanna would no longer threaten the happiness that they shared.

~TBC


	15. Chapter 15

If it wasn't for the air conditioner, Alyssa decided that she'd melt. New Mexico wasn't known for its moderate temperatures, but this heat sapped any energy she had. After her lunch with Evan, she went home to quiet and pictures. As she stared at Cameron's face smiling at the wedding, she colored Deanna's face with a black marker. Right now, she couldn't get to Colorado. Too many people would notice. But, as soon as Deanna came home, she planned to take action.

After a long afternoon of planning and fantasizing, her "contact," as she'd taken to calling him, asked to meet with her. Now, she sat in the mall parking lot an hour after closing. At first, Alyssa hesitated. This guy seemed a little too concerned about being seen with her. But her desire to be with Cameron again won the internal argument. She couldn't just abandon him. She had to find a way to get to his side. So, she came.

The dark sedan that pulled up made her smile. _How stereotypical_, she thought. This guy had watched too many spy movies. Still holding her cell phone, she climbed from her car and tried to breathe in the thick humid heat. The driver's door opened, and her contact appeared.

Alyssa strode over to him, ready to conclude their business. "They're in Colorado. I'm not entirely sure where."

The man nodded. "I suspected as much. Thank you for confirming that." He turned back to his car.

"Hey!" Alyssa held out a hand to stop him. "What about our deal?"

With his back to her, the man laughed. "Oh, yes. I haven't forgotten." He whirled, and the cold glitter in his eyes made her step back. He lifted his weapon. "You've served your purpose. Thank you so much."

Alyssa's world ended in a flash of blue.

oOo

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Cam stood in the doorway of Landry's office, waiting until the general motioned him into the room.

"Yes." Landry picked up a thick stack of paperwork. "I thought you'd like to take care of this."

"Paperwork?" Cam shook his head. "Not really, Sir."

"Oh, I think you will." Landry waved it in front of him. "General O'Neill managed to get your girlfriend clearance. I think she'd take the truth of the Stargate Program better if it came from you."

Cam stared. So it wasn't personnel files or any other sort of housekeeping. This was a confidentiality agreement. He had forgotten how big those crazy things were. Rather than arguing, he took the stack of papers. "Yes, Sir. I'll take care of that right now."

Landry shook his head and grinned. "Just give her time, Mitchell. She'll eventually understand."

"I'll do my best." He started to leave and then stopped. "One quick question. Why was Deanna given clearance and her brother denied?"

"Jack is still working on Danny's clearances." Landry shrugged. "I guess Deanna distinguished herself during college, and the IOA wants a good botanist on staff."

Cam blinked and excused himself. Deanna was a botanist? While she was good with plants, he'd never realized that she'd been trained to work with them. Determined to get a little more information out of her, he drove to the hospital. Deanna greeted him, this time dressed in a blue outfit like the pink one she'd worn yesterday.

"Hey, darlin.'" He glanced behind him to make sure they were alone and then leaned close to kiss her.

She kept her eyes closed after he pulled back. "Mmm. That was nice."

Cam grinned and kissed her again. After he pulled away, he looked around. A book lay open in her lap, but she didn't appear to be completely intrigued. "How does a walk sound?" He nodded toward the door. "I have a wheelchair, and I thought some fresh air might be good."

Deanna's eyes went to the window. "Is it as pretty out there as it seems?"

"Yep." He went to the door and snagged the wheelchair. "We'll have to take the SF detail, though. Landry's orders."

She shrugged as she pushed her legs over the side of the bed. "I don't care. Fresh air will be great."

Cam helped her maneuver into the chair, careful of the broken ribs and incisions she still had. All in all, she got around rather well. By the time they reached to the door, the signs of pain eased from her face, and she smiled when the sun hit her. Rather than commenting, she pointed. "There. Under the mulberry tree."

He pushed her toward the bench. "You knew what kind of tree this is simply by looking at it?" When she gave him a wry look, he laughed. "Right. Botanist."

Her face stilled. "Cam?"

"Sorry." He blinked at her. "I know we haven't told each other everything, and I'm sorry if I stepped on any toes. But my superiors just got you security clearance. Your degree in botany is one of the reasons it went through so quickly."

"And Danny?"

"General O'Neill's still working on it."

"I see." She seemed to be gauging his reactions, trying to decide if she wanted to keep secrets from her brother. Her eyes moved. "And the paperwork is. . .?"

"A confidentiality agreement."

Deanna bit her lip, frowning. This was the biggest decision she'd been asked to make in years. Before that, it had been her college major, which honestly wasn't a difficult choice. But this? This placed a wall between her and her brother. Did she really want to cut Danny off like that? Could she cut him off like that?

Her eyes moved, and she saw Cam watching her, waiting for her decision. His blue eyes urged her to accept his offer, but he hesitated.

She frowned. "This is what you do, isn't it? What you _really_ do?"

"Yep."

"Is it worth it?"

He let out a silly laugh. "It's the best job in the world."

"Okay." She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart. "What could be so big that I need to sign my life away just to get a job?"

Cam grinned at her. "Well, it's like this. . . ." His grin dropped from his face, and he froze.

"Cam?"

"Stay still." The change in him surprised her. She'd never truly seen him go into military mode, and it caused her to freeze. A moment later, a strange sound reached her ears. Cam jumped to his feet as cold metal met the base of her skull.

"I wouldn't if I were you." The new voice was smooth, almost friendly. Deanna breathed in sharply as she realized this person held a gun to her head. The weapon shifted. "Tell him what happens when I fire this, my dear. Or do you remember?"

Deanna watched as Cam blinked. "You're the one who shot her."

"Yes, well, I was hoping for something a little more spectacular with that shot." The man laughed. "I hope you'll forgive me for that, my dear. It was the only way to get the good colonel out of his mountain hiding place and where I could get to him."

Deanna's heartbeat rose as she recognized the voice. "You're the one who came to my hospital room."

Cam glared. "And the one who caused the accident." He clenched his fist. "Stop hiding behind her and face me if that's what you want."

"Oh, I assure you that's not what I want." The man laughed and turned Deanna's chair. She stared at a dark-skinned face with cold, dead eyes. "But I can see you require a demonstration." He pointed the strange, curved weapon toward one of her bodyguards lying on the ground. A blue beam of electricity accompanied the odd metallic sound she'd heard a moment ago. The man fired again, and the bodyguard disappeared.

"It's called a zat'ni'katel," the man continued as he shot the second bodyguard two more times. "One shot stuns, two shots kill, and three shots disintegrate." He turned the weapon back toward Deanna. "The effects are cumulative, though. If I shot you now, you'd only be rendered unconscious."

Behind her, Cam spoke, "What do you want?"

"Oh, it's not what I want that matters." The man kept his weapon trained on Deanna. "It's what Kefflin wants. Now, come along, Colonel. I'm sure you don't want to leave your woman alone with someone the likes of me."

"I wasn't planning to allow you to take her," Cam growled.

The man turned, laughing. "What? With a single move, I can make sure she's dead. Is that what you want?" He waited while Cam glared. "I thought not. Now, come along." He began to push Deanna down the sidewalk and toward the exit.

Deanna let out a deep breath, trying to calm the shaking in her hands. What happened behind her? Was Cam following? She hoped he so but knew him to be too hard-headed to understand what was good for him. At any moment, she expected him to rescue her. She'd known something was wrong about her accident, and she hadn't been able to remember. Now, the brilliant flash of blue played through her mind.

A scuffle sounded behind her, and the stranger grunted. Flesh met flesh, and that weapon sounded again. Deanna's body involuntarily tensed, and she groaned at the pain. Fortunately, unconsciousness claimed her before the agony became worse.

oOo

Cam picked himself up from the ground, wiping at the blood from his split lip. "Okay, maybe that wasn't the smartest move."

"You know it wasn't, Colonel." The man smiled, the zat still pointed at Deanna's unconscious form. "Now, either you cooperate, or I shoot her again."

Cam nodded and straightened. "I got it." He frowned. "But what I don't get is you. Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm known as Odru."

Cam's eyebrows rose. "Odru?"

"That's all you need to know." He motioned with the zat. "Come along, Colonel. With your lovely young lady no longer needing the wheelchair, we can move a lot faster." He grinned. "Unless, of course, you prefer for me to carry her."

"No, I got it." Cam moved to the wheelchair and carefully hoisted Deanna in his arms. He'd dreamed about doing this, but not in such a violent situation. Rather than allowing that to show on his face, he glared at Odru and walked in the direction the man indicated. When they reached a secluded parking lot, Odru ordered him into a car. Knowing the man would kill Deanna if he even thought about resisting, Cam climbed into the dark sedan. An hour later, he picked Deanna up and settled her in the back of a Goa'uld cargo ship. Odru carelessly told him to make himself at home. Cam stood in front of Deanna's body, shielding her. Odru simply laughed and locked them in the cargo hold.

Once the man disappeared, Cam let the angry exterior drop. He'd managed to get Deanna kidnapped by a bounty hunter most likely working for the Lucian Alliance. He settled on the floor next to her and pulled her into his arms. When she awoke, he intended to be there as she panicked and reacted to the truth of her new situation.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall as the cargo ship took flight. Yep, this had to be the worst day of his life.

~TBC


	16. Chapter 16

"I need a vacation," Lorne muttered as he slipped out the back door of Danny and Deanna's home. The irony of the situation struck him, and he chuckled quietly. He _was_ on vacation. In fact, his leave had been extended one more week so that he could be around when Deanna came home. Sheppard hadn't been thrilled, but Lorne appreciated Landry's gesture. Of course, her relationship with Mitchell had a lot to do with that.

The weather was changing. Lorne sensed it in the temperature of the morning. The mid-September days still sweltered at noon, but the mornings had begun to cool. It was perfect running weather. Lorne shook his head as he entered the greenhouse. Rather than taking off for a run down the deserted road and watching a spectacular sunrise over the Sacramento Mountains, he watered every plant in the greenhouse. "You did it to yourself," he said, having taken up talking to himself in the last few days.

In truth, he didn't feel like going for a run this morning. Last night, he and his mother had stayed up until two in the morning, watching movies and talking. After her reception of Alyssa the day she arrived, Paige made every effort to reconnect with her son. Even at forty years old, he still worried about what his mother thought. Last night, after several movies he'd been dying to watch since they came out while he'd been in Pegasus, Paige opened the conversation with some questions about his life and art. The two of them discussed their dreams for the future and decided that they would take a trip to White Sands National Monument within the week to paint the sunset. Lorne actually looked forward to that trip. Seeing the difference between his mother's idealistic outlook on life and his battle-ready mindset would make the exercise very interesting.

The greenhouse glowed in the morning sun. Lorne opened the door, grateful that he didn't have to find the light switch. Since Danny and Deanna had gone to Colorado, he'd come out here to water the plants on Deanna's incredibly regimented schedule. Even though he'd looked numerous times, he still couldn't find the crazy light switch! It irritated him. Now, he grabbed the water hose and tugged it from it's neatly rolled place to begin dousing the tropical plants with their daily dose of H2O.

A body lay in the middle of the center aisle. Lorne blinked, the water hose in his hand forgotten as he stared. That auburn hair seemed familiar, though matted. He rushed to the spigot and quickly turned off the water. Then, he returned to the body's side.

Alyssa faced the rear of the greenhouse, her eyes wide and an expression of horror permanently covering her features. Lorne stepped carefully to avoid disturbing any evidence left by her killer. A quick check of her neck confirmed that she was dead. For a moment, he crouched beside her and struggled to breathe. While he'd entertained the idea of seeing her while on Earth, he hadn't felt anything more than the attraction a normal man felt for a pretty woman. She'd been a fun distraction from Deanna's situation. Nothing more. Still, he hadn't wanted to see her life cut short, either.

Reality finally returned, and he stood as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. It had taken him a week to get reacquainted with the thing. On Atlantis, they used radios with hands-free devices and flew Puddle Jumpers through the gate. On Earth, they used cell phones and drove cars at insanely slow speed limits. The irony didn't escape him even now.

"Major Lorne for General Landry," he said when Walter Harriman answered the phone.

A moment later, someone picked up another line. "This is Landry."

"Sir, this is Major Lorne." He stared at Alyssa's body as he spoke, trying to determine the exact cause of death. "I've got a situation in New Mexico."

"What sort of situation, Major?"

"A dead body in the Chandry greenhouse, Sir." He straightened. "I was out here close to midnight last night. I can guarantee this body was not here before I went to bed."

"Relax, Major. I believe you."

"Yes, Sir."

"Can you identify the person?"

"Yes, Sir. It's a young woman named Alyssa. She came to the house several days ago and asked about Deanna. Seems they're friends from college." Lorne pushed away the suspicions that he'd buried. When she'd been in college, he and Deanna had been quite close.

"Major, are you thinking this is another message to Colonel Mitchell?"

"It could be, Sir." Lorne shrugged. "Or it could be completely random. I'm not seeing any marks on her body to indicate a struggle or how she died, however. It all seems rather. . .unusual, if you follow my drift."

"I agree." Landry paused for a moment as he considered his options. "I'm sending SG-1 minus Colonel Mitchell. He's at the hospital right now, hopefully gaining your cousin's signature on a confidentiality agreement. Colonel Carter will lead the investigation. Give her any help she requires."

"Yes, Sir."

"Just give us a few minutes, and stay put. _Odyssey_ will lock onto your locator beacon and beam SG-1 directly to you."

Lorne nodded once even though the general couldn't see him and hung up the phone. With this development, his evening plans with his mother had just been cancelled. And he'd been indefinitely recalled to Earth. Lorne let out a deep breath, trying to find the calm demeanor Atlantis personnel expected from him.

Carter, Teal'c, Daniel, and Vala appeared before he'd found it. Rather than answering all their questions, he just led them to the body. Vala looked around curiously, and Lorne remembered that she'd not come from Earth. This was likely her first visit to a greenhouse. Rather than hovering over the body, she began exploring the jungle.

Carter knelt beside the body. "You say you know who this is?"

"Alyssa." He shrugged at Carter's glance. "That's all I know." He answered her questions about how they'd met and who would possibly want to frame him for murder. As they talked, Daniel also explored the greenhouse. His search, however, wasn't for hidden treasures. He examined entrances, hiding places, and storage rooms-anywhere someone could have hidden a vital clue.

Carter took a picture with her phone and accessed the internet. Lorne waited, knowing that Sam knew how to manipulate the 'net to give her exactly what she wanted. With military-grade technology, that woman carried one of the most powerful cell phones ever created. Pity Apple hadn't thought of the upgrades she'd made.

"Here it is," Carter said as she rocked back on her heels. "Alyssa Franks. I have an address and her driver's license here." She glanced at Lorne. "Can you and Teal'c go check out her place? We'll finish up here."

"Yes, ma'am." Lorne glanced at the Jaffa wearing a beanie. "Give me a minute to throw on some clothes."

Teal'c nodded politely and remained in the greenhouse as Lorne jogged back inside the house. He sincerely wished he'd been able to take that run. In the kitchen, Paige poured a cup of coffee and glanced at him. "You're in a big rush."

"Yeah, you know the military." Lorne shrugged as he poured his now-cold coffee down the drain. "Got a lead on Deanna's accident. The general wants me to follow up."

Paige accepted that and trudged back to her room. Lorne knew she'd sip her coffee and watch the sun climb higher in the day. Over the years, his mother had changed her habits from rising early and rushing into her day to enjoying the morning hours. He shook his head as he dressed in civvies. This was not the day he had planned.

Twenty minutes later, he jimmied the lock on Alyssa's home. Once inside, he glanced around. The house was in a poorer portion of the town, but the interior was well-kept. A small pile of mail rested on the breakfast bar, and a few dishes cluttered the sink. Dust lined the bookshelf and entertainment center. Lorne wandered, trying to get a feel for the woman he had known so briefly.

"Major Lorne, I believe you will want to see this," Teal'c said from the hallway. Lorne followed his voice and stepped into the spare-bedroom-turned-office.

"Wow." He couldn't say anything else. The sight of the pictures plastering the walls left him in a rare spot-speechless. Lorne began at the door, tracing the development of Deanna's relationship with Mitchell simply by following the pictures. While they had known each other for little more than a month, they had come to a deep understanding of each other. He saw them watching movies, eating in a rental car, laughing as they walked, holding hands during dinner, and many other things. In addition to the snapshots of their relationship, there were pictures of Mitchell, most taken without his knowledge.

"Major Lorne." Teal'c again interrupted his thoughts.

He turned as the Jaffa pointed. A bulletin board near the desk held various pictures of Cam and Deanna. These showed a significant change, however. Bold black X's covered Deanna's face in some while she'd been cut out of other pictures entirely. Lorne clenched his jaw as the implications swept over him. Alyssa hadn't been interested in him. She wasn't a friend of Deanna's from college. She'd been stalking Mitchell, and she'd needed information on Deanna to find him.

Lorne pulled out his cell phone and again dialed Landry's number. "Sir, I believe we may have something. It appears that Colonel Mitchell had a stalker here in New Mexico. I don't know why she's dead, but I would recommend that he be recalled to the SGC along with Danny and Deanna. Whoever killed Alyssa most likely knows about them and is on the way to Colorado."

"We're aware of that, Major." Landry sounded tense now, not like he'd been that morning. "Stand by while _Odyssey_ locks onto your beacon. You're being recalled to the SGC."

"With all due respect, Sir, may I ask why?"

"Because," Landry said, "Colonel Mitchell and your cousin went missing a short time ago. Five minutes ago, _Odyssey_ confirmed that they are no longer on the planet."

oOo

Deanna groaned as the pain slammed into her body. Whatever had hit her had to have been intense. She ached from more than just her injuries. Her muscles hurt as if she'd spent the last hour in a tense ball.

A heartbeat reached her ears, and she blinked. Even in the dim light, her eyes rebelled at being opened. A hand moved, and Cam's voice urged her to relax. He had her. Deanna relaxed marginally, giving her body time to fully awaken. "What happened?"

"He shot you," Cam growled.

Deanna raised her head suddenly and instantly regretted the action. She groaned again and would have held her head in her hands. Unfortunately, her right hand helped support her as she pushed herself into an upright position. "Who shot me?"

"Odru."

"Who's Odru?"

"My guess?" Cam climbed to his feet and began circling the small room. "He's a bounty hunter. I haven't been able to get much out of him since he put us in here."

Deanna looked around. Their prison appeared to be a hold of some sort. A door led to a small room at the back, and the walls were covered in a gaudy yellow-gold substance with. . . . Were those hieroglyphs? Deanna frowned at the walls and then at the circular pattern in the floor. "Where are we?"

Cam snorted. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"So this has something to do with that confidentiality agreement you wanted me to sign?"

"It has everything to do with it." He whirled and came back to her side, crouching beside her as he held out both hands. "Look, you have to believe me when I say this. I never once lied to you. I omitted a few things by necessity because they were classified. But I never once told you an outright lie."

"Cam," she said in a low voice. His pleading tone and expression scared her more than their unfamiliar circumstances. "Where. . .are. . .we?"

He dropped his head and let out an exasperated sigh. "On board a cargo ship likely leaving the solar system."

Deanna blinked. "Excuse me?" She stared. "Are you sure you didn't sneak a couple of those horse pills that Dr. Lam gave me for pain?"

"Look, I know it's hard to believe, but you have to understand that everything you thought you knew about Earth and the galaxy isn't quite right." He rubbed his face with both hands. "There's so much to tell you, but I just don't have the time. Odru is in the cockpit of this boat, and he's in charge right now. I need you to trust me for a little while longer."

Deanna eyed him as he pushed back to his feet. She wanted to trust him. She really did. But his words were so farfetched that she struggled to even comprehend what had happened. She'd been kidnapped along with her boyfriend because of some feud with a guy named Odru. What kind of name was Odru, anyway? She gently leaned her head against the gaudy wall and closed her eyes.

Without warning, the wall and floor shifted. She lifted her head, panic warring with her good sense. If Cam was crazy, then why did it feel like her entire world just moved? "What was that?"

Cam turned, his expression telling her just how bad the situation really was. "We just jumped to hyperspace."

~TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: **Contains spoilers for "Collateral Damage."

oOo

"Hyperspace?" Deanna stared. "What? Is that like warp speed?"

Cam stared at her, his irritation at her sarcasm evident on his face. Before he could respond, however, the door slid open. He pressed his back into the wall next to it, staying silent as the man from the hospital appeared.

"Ah, you're awake. Good." The man frowned as he stared at Deanna. "Where's the colonel?"

Cam moved. "Right here." When the stranger turned, he punched him in the face. Deanna winced as the guy went down. Cam followed him, dragging him to his feet. He planted a knee into Cam's stomach and then punched him again. Without the extra weight, he turned and pointed that strange gun at Deanna.

"Colonel, I'm sure you don't want me to keep doing this to her."

Cam coughed and straightened. "No, I don't." He drew in a deep breath and wiped at the blood coming from his split lip.

The weapon gave that metallic sound again, and Deanna's eyes widened as it moved.

Cam let out a nervous laugh. "Okay, you've made your point."

"Good." The man grabbed his jacket and pushed him across the room. "Because I'd really hate to harm such a beautiful woman any more than she's been hurt. But I will if you keep up with these impulsive and foolish attempts to attack me."

Cam stood between Deanna and the man. "What do you want?"

"Only to explain a few things to your otherwise clueless young lady." The man leaned slightly to see around Cam's form. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Odru." He waited and lifted an eyebrow when she didn't respond. "No answer? Doesn't matter, my dear. I know just about everything there is to know about you. Your world is quite fond of its. . .what do you call it. . .internet? There's a lot about you on that particular database."

Deanna's eyes shifted from Odru to her protector. "Cam, what's he talking about?"

Odru laughed. "Oh, right. I forgot. You don't know anything about the Stargate or the work that our dear colonel really does."

She scowled. "Excuse me?"

"Let me see if I can give you the basic run-down." Odru paced to the other side of the room, giving him a clear view of her face. "Your government has been running a secret organization called Stargate Command for ten years or more. Exact dates are still unknown to the Lucian Alliance. They send people through a device they call a Stargate-quite catchy, by the way-to other planets. On those other planets, they interfere in culture, economy, and government while attempting to steal the technology those people have developed." He looked at Cam. "How am I doing so far?"

Deanna used her good hand to grab Cam's arm and pull herself to her feet. "You're lying," she said between gritted teeth. Her body still ached from being shot with that weapon, and she used the pain as a way to express her dislike of their captor.

Odru laughed again. "Oh, I assure you it's all very true. In fact, you have met one of the people they brought back from another planet. You call her Vala Mal Doran."

"Vala's an _alien_?" Deanna stared at the two men in front of her. "This is crazy. Both of you are on something. And it's pretty good. Can I have some? It might help with the pain."

"Ah, yes, I'm so sorry about that." Odru glared at Cam. "I needed to show the colonel I meant business and to ensure that he would not resist."

"Resist what?" Cam finally spoke for the first time since placing himself between her and Odru.

"His apprehension." Odru's smile turned deadly. "You see, Kefflin has a score to settle, and I have a certain issue with the Lucian Alliance. I figure I can get back into Kefflin's good graces by bringing him the man responsible for Netan's death."

Cam blinked. "So, Netan _is_ dead? 'Cause I'd heard that reports of his death were greatly exaggerated."

"Oh, he's dead. And the Alliance is in disarray." Odru backed out of the room. "That's why I need you two. You, Colonel Mitchell, will ensure my entry back into Kefflin's good graces. And you, my dear, will make a wonderful addition to my household."

"Now, hold on just a minute!" Cam's voice bounced off the door as it slid shut.

"Cam?" Deanna hated how her voice trembled. "What is he talking about?"

He turned. "You might want to sit down."

"No!" She glared at him. "The time for secrets is obviously over. Now, tell me exactly what's going on so we can figure out how to get out of here. Preferably unharmed."

Rather than reaching for her, he paced away from her. "He lied, Dee." Cam turned to face her, blue eyes pleading with her to understand. "I do travel to other planets, but I don't do it to steal from them. We're something of an elite strike force. SG-1 and I help negotiate trade agreements, fight big bad guys, and generally keep the peace."

Deanna gaped at him. "You're telling me that you go to other planets every day?" She looked at the room they were in. "That this really is a space ship traveling to another planet where they want to kill you? And enslave me?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"What were you thinking?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Knowing the dangers of your job, what were you thinking to even come into my life?" She waved a hand, knowing that she'd become unreasonable but unable to stop the words from flying out of her mouth. "I mean, I defended you against Danny because I believed in you. I believed that you were doing something incredibly important. And, maybe, you are important. Perhaps too important in your own eyes. But that's beside the point. Right now, I don't know if I believe you, Odru, or nothing at all. After all, who is lying, and who's telling the truth? It's all too farfetched to be able to tell."

He put his hands on his hips, not moving any closer to her. "I never lied to you. Maybe stretched the truth a little."

"Really? Give me an example."

"Remember when I went back to Colorado after the wedding? I told you that I'd been pulled into meetings immediately." He watched her as he spoke. "I was in a meeting with the Tok'ra High Council concerning some Ancient technology they'd discovered."

"Wait." Deanna closed her eyes, swaying slightly as she realized that she needed to sit down. When Cam moved to help her, she glared. "Stay over there." After sliding back to the floor, she frowned. "Tok'ra? Ancient technology?"

"Yeah." Cam sat down across from her, leaning his back against one of the crates in the hold. "The first alien race that the SGC encountered through the gate was the Goa'uld. They're basically parasitic snakes that take over humans and live in their bodies, controlling their actions. Most of them had god complexes and were worshiped by hundreds, if not thousands. But, a sect of them split off and became the Tok'ra. Basically, the Goa'uld take over a host no matter if the host is willing. The Tok'ra _blend_ with a willing host."

"And you've seen them? These snakes, I mean."

"Oh, yeah." He shrugged. "I honestly never meant for any of this to happen."

Deanna closed her eyes against the sight of his regretful expression. She needed to think. The more she talked to him, the more she believed him. If she could just find a window and look out, it would solve all their problems. Unfortunately, this ship didn't have any windows in the hold. Just gaudy walls with hieroglyphs.

Was she really considering the idea that Cameron wasn't crazy? Her head began to ache as she tried to reconcile her world view with this new information. No wonder he kept his work from her. She shook her head. When had she begun to believe him?

"Okay." She opened her eyes. "Just start at the beginning."

"The beginning. Right."

"Wait." She narrowed her eyes. "Your plane crash?"

"F302 alien-human hybrid space capable fighter." He ran a hand over his face. "I was stationed aboard the Prometheus, one of Earth's new space ships. We were sent to Antarctica to defend SG-1 against a very powerful, very evil, part Goa'uld, part Ascended system lord named Anubis. In the fight, I took a direct hit. Ejection systems malfunctioned, and I went down. That was 2003. In 2005, I joined SG-1."

"You've mentioned them before. Who is this 'elite strike force' you mentioned?" she asked, using her right hand to create quotation marks.

"Me, Daniel, Vala, Sam, and Teal'c."

"I haven't met Teal'c."

"Because he's been off world." He sighed. "Those Goa'uld I told you about a minute ago? They require a human host or a living incubator to survive. The Jaffa are their incubators. The Jaffa were bred without an immune system. The symbiote they carry in a pouch in their stomach keeps them strong and healthy."

Over the next several hours, Deanna listened as Cam told her about people he'd met, places he'd seen, and fights he'd won. He spoke highly of the Sodan, telling her about his time with them as if it had been a vacation rather than training to die. This man continued to surprise her. While she'd known him to be a soldier, she'd never seen that side of him. And he spared no detail. His descriptions of some of his encounters frightened her. His retelling of his visit to Galar shook her.

"So, these Galarans, as you call them, have the technology to implant memories into your mind?" Deanna shuddered. "How would you know what is real and what isn't?"

"You wouldn't." Cam stared at his hands. "I spent a long time after that wondering if I really did kill Reya. I still don't know how to cope with that idea. But we got that technology from them, and we've used it in several instances where the need to share memories has been helpful."

"And this woman. . .Reya? She was your lover?"

Cam's head came up at that one. He looked ready to deny it, but he stopped. "Yes and no. We never got past first base, but I cared about her."

Deanna sat there, unable to speak. She'd needed to know Cam's exact relationship with this other woman. From the way he spoke about her, Reya had been brilliant, beautiful, and an alien. How could she ever measure up?

_There isn't a woman alive in this entire galaxy that can compare to you. _His words from the night of Amber and Andrew's rehearsal echoed through her mind, and Deanna struggled to breathe. He'd tried to tell her how he really felt that night. She hadn't understood, however. She had not realized that he'd meant the words literally. "Oh."

Cam frowned at her. "What?"

"Do you remember what you told me the night of Andrew's bachelor party?" She waited until he nodded. "I just got it."

He crawled across the floor of the cargo ship and slipped his arms around her. "I still feel that way. Now, more than ever."

Deanna laid her head on his shoulder and listened to his heartbeat. No matter how many more secrets he still had, she couldn't let him go. They would share their secrets in time and forgive each other. She really had no other choice. She loved him. That realization brought a grin to her face as she thought about the last few hours. Her head came up. "You know something?"

"What?"

"You have a really stupid laugh when you get nervous."

Cam laughed, this one genuinely amused. "Thank you. I love you, too."

Deanna leaned back onto his shoulder, enjoying the feel of his arms around her and the way his breath tickled her cheek. "I love you, Cam Mitchell. More than I can say."

~TBC


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: **School started today (8-19-10), so I'm a little off my game. As a result of not really knowing how heavy my school load will be, I'll be posting at different times than normal. "Unexpected" will continue to post daily until it's finished, followed closely by its SGA companion piece, "Unnoticed." (Yes, shameless plug by the author!) I'll work to get a chapter posted every day, but I can't guarantee it. As a result, I promise to post new chapters of "Unnoticed" whenever I finish writing one. Well, on with the story! ~lg

oOo

Deanna managed to fall asleep propped on Cam's chest. She slept peacefully, not minding the occasional jarring sensations his movements caused. They didn't speak after she told him she loved him. She didn't need him to speak anymore. After she calmed down, she'd realized that he'd been on his way to tell her the truth about what he did for a living when they'd been kidnapped. Odru had simply interrupted them.

The sound of the cargo hold opening woke her from her nap. Cam nudged her gently. "Time to wake up, darlin.'"

"What's happening?" she asked as she tried to push herself to her feet. Her bare feet, she realized. When they left her hospital room, she had not bothered to put on shoes since she'd been in the wheelchair.

"I think we're about to meet the greeting committee." Cam stood and pulled her up behind him. "Stick close."

"Planning on it." She watched as Odru reappeared. He welcomed the four new men to the cargo hold. Rather than trying to separate them, the four guards surrounded them and herded them out of the cargo hold.

Deanna craned her neck, amazed at the sights and sounds around her. Flames flickered in waist-high braziers as they walked down the halls, reflecting off of the gaudy yellow-gold walls. They passed several men, all of them appearing human and carrying some sort of firearm. She knew enough to recognize a gun. Several of the men also carried these strange zat guns Odru used.

At an intersection in the corridor, another group of guards appeared. Odru moved to her side. "Take her to the prepared chamber."

Deanna turned to Cam, panic causing her heart to jump into her throat. "Cam?"

Odru took her right arm and firmly pulled her away from Cam. "I warned you. Told you to say your goodbyes. You obviously didn't listen."

Cam began to follow her, and two of the guards around him grabbed his arms. He managed to throw them off and punch another man before a third guard produced a three-pronged rod. He touched it to Cam's shoulder, and Cam dropped onto the ground, writhing and shouting in agony. Yellow-orange light poured from his mouth and eyes as he shouted.

Deanna tried to return to his side, screaming for them to stop. Odru clamped his arm around her waist, causing her still-healing ribs to shift. Her scream ended in a soft whimper as pain kept her from arguing. Rather than risking her determination to get to Cam's side, Odru lifted her into his arms and carried her around another corner. Deanna dissolved into tears as Cam's shouts of agony followed her.

"Put me down!" She pounded on his chest as tears streamed down her face. She couldn't do much with her left hand, but she could use her right hand. He'd not pinned that to his side. Following Cam's lead, she pulled her arm back and planted her fist squarely in Odru's nose. Several knuckles popped, and her hand throbbed, causing her to forget about her ribs.

He grunted at the blow and laughed, ignoring the blood that followed her blow. "You're spirited. That's good." He walked through another door and stood her on her feet. "You'll learn to cope if you stay as spirited. Now, clothing has been provided. Kindly dress yourself and be ready when I return."

Deanna stared as he left the room. Two of the guards that had followed them leered at her before taking up positions outside the door. She glared at them until they disappeared from sight. Then, she turned and surveyed the room.

A window looked out onto a blue and green planet. Deanna moved to get a better view, transfixed by the sight. They really were in space! For a moment, she managed to forget her circumstances and Cam's shouts. The moment passed, and she stared at the bed. Reminiscent of a medieval princess's bed, it stood in the center of the room. Red curtains with gold thread woven into designs shrouded the four posts, and luxurious pillows covered half of the mattress. An emerald green gown lay over the edge of the bed. Deanna picked it up and frowned. It was long, flowing, expensive, and very low cut. She doubted she'd be able to hid much in that dress.

"No, I won't." She spoke to the room as she set the dress onto the bed. "I'm no one's property."

Deciding that, if Cam could resist the kind of torture that he was sure to endure, she could resist this opulent chamber and everything it represented. She moved back to the window and gazed out at the planet. The scene calmed her marginally and helped her think. She suddenly understood why Cam chose to fly those fighters over Earth. Seeing the ground rush up to meet him only to pull up at the last possible moment had to send adrenaline coursing through every vein in his body.

After an hour, the door to the room opened. By then, Deanna had explored every nook in this strange prison. She'd discovered the bathroom and eyed the large bath tub. A wardrobe held several other equally revealing dresses. And the bed invited her. Rather than lying down, she had chosen to sit in the corner farthest from the door.

Odru looked around, seeming calm rather than angry. His eyes lit when he saw her. "So, you've chosen to resist." He walked over to her. "Don't you know that I have no qualms about forcing you into those clothes?"

"I get that," Deanna said through gritted teeth as she pulled herself to her feet. "You need to know that I don't care. You've taken me from my home and forced me in here _knowing_ that I am injured. I am no man's property, and I refuse to act like it."

Rather than growing angry, Odru simply smiled. "Yes, my dear. I know that. I don't intend to make you my property. I intend to simply make you mine." His grin turned predatory. "But you make a good point. I had forgotten about your injuries. I'll send someone in to help you with them." He left the room again.

Deanna returned to her corner of the room. She thought about hiding under the bed but knew it would do her no good. She'd already tried the door and found it wouldn't respond to her like it did to Odru. He had obviously programmed the mechanism to keep her locked inside. Now that she'd accepted that Cam's job was real, she found herself adjusting quickly. The idea of hyperdrive and advanced technology had been sold to the American public in the form of science fiction television series and movies. The idea that it _existed_ still boggled her mind.

The door opened again, and a woman entered the room. She looked around and smiled gently when she spotted Deanna. "I am Ymara."

Deanna stared at her. "And?"

Ymara crouched in front of her. "Odru sent me to help you."

"I'm sure he did." She readjusted her position and let out a pained laugh. "Oh, that hurt."

Ymara's smile vanished. "I know what you are thinking. Odru will not harm you. He will provide completely for your every need or want."

Deanna grinned. "Yeah, so long as you fulfill his every whim." She sobered. "Look, I'm not trying to be difficult. My people just have a policy of not negotiating with terrorists. And Odru is a terrorist. He kidnapped me and the man I love from our home and forcibly separated us from each other. He's probably helping to torture Cam as we speak. And he expects me to allow him to make me his?" Her voice rose as she spoke, clearly affecting Ymara.

The other woman's eyes moved to the window. "I have had few complaints."

"That means you've had some." Deanna shook her head. "I can't settle for that. I can't submit to that. Not when the man I love is being tortured because of him."

Ymara turned to her, eyes wet with unshed tears. "I have brought something to help your injuries." She held up a strange round device with a dull orange gem in the middle. "If you will lie down on the bed, I can make sure your internal injuries are cured."

"You can do that?" Deanna allowed the other woman to help her to the bed.

"It is because of the Goa'uld. They left their mark on me even after the Tok'ra freed me."

Deanna stared as the orange gem began to glow. A strange, tingling warmth filled her midsection. As the warmth increased, the pain decreased. She found herself breathing easier than she had since the accident. When Ymara stepped back, she used her elbow to sit up. "Thanks."

"You are most welcome." Ymara smiled and moved to take the dress from the bed. "Now, would you like me to help you dress?"

"No." Deanna stood and stretched, enjoying the feel of once-tender muscles shedding their stiffness. She looked down. "Well, maybe some shoes."

Ymara glanced at the door. "But Odru will expect you to be dressed."

"Odru will expect me to do a lot of things." Deanna used her right arm to cradle her still-healing left hand. Now that the pain of her broken ribs and other injuries had faded, the throb became almost overwhelming. "He's going to be sorely disappointed."

"Are you not afraid of him?"

"Yes, I'm afraid of him." Deanna moved to the wardrobe and found some moccasin-looking boots. She sat down to pull them onto her feet. "I'm afraid of what he'll do to Cameron when this Kefflin is finished with him. For that reason, I have to keep fighting."

Ymara knelt and began tying the laces that Deanna struggled to tighten. "If your Cameron has been taken to Kefflin, then you should grieve for him."

"Help me." Deanna instinctively leaned toward the woman. "Help me get out of here. I don't know what I can do, but I have to try to help Cameron if I can."

Ymara shook her head quickly and rushed to the door. "You don't know what you ask." With that, she disappeared.

Deanna glared at the door and moved to the window again. If she didn't get out of here, Odru would return and surely force himself on her. Her throat closed, and she tried to remember the self-defense lessons she'd taken after Danny ran Alejandro out of town. She could fight this. She _would_ fight this.

oOo

By the time Cam saw Kefflin, he hung between two guards. His split lip bled slightly, but the agony in his body outweighed the sting of his lip. That torture device they'd used on him in the hallway certainly packed a punch. He regretted that Deanna had seen that but knew it had been for her benefit. As much as they wanted to torture him, they wanted to break her. That thought sent rage through him, and he pushed himself to his hands and knees.

Another man laughed as he struggled to remain upright. "So, this is Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell. I must say. I expected someone more. . . ."

"Ugly?" Cam asked.

"Impressive." The man with thin blond hair pulled into a ponytail pulled on an armored glove. He glared at the guards. "Hold him."

"Here we go." Cam managed to get the three words out before Kefflin's fist connected with his jaw. He rolled with the punch, trying to take as much of the impact out as possible. Ten minutes later, he spit blood from his mouth, felt a couple loose teeth, and knew that his ribs were bruised at the least.

Kefflin stepped away from him. "Take him to his cell. Let him see the gift we have for him."

"Gift?" Cam asked weakly. "You call a prison cell a gift?"

"Oh, it's not the cell that matters." Kefflin grinned. "You see, your young lady now belongs to Odru as a reward for bringing you to me. You'll be allowed to see her as she adjusts to her new home."

Cam blinked as the two guards dragged him out of the room. He'd endured agony before. Torture wasn't his forte, but he knew how to get through it. Physical pain was merely a distraction to be overcome. This new type of pain, however, couldn't compare. As he rolled into the cell, he looked a the walls. Several monitors, all with different camera angles, showed a bed chamber somewhere on the ship. Deanna sat huddled in a corner, cradling her arm and crying softly.

There was no sound. Cam realized this as he moved to the monitor with the clearest view of her face. That man had definitely done his homework. With Deanna somewhere on the ship as captive to another man, Kefflin had ensured that Cam would endure a torture far worse than any physical pain he could inflict. By allowing Cam to see Deanna and her surroundings, he'd effectively taken the wind out of him in a way no gut punch could.

Cam glared at the monitors. One way or another, he'd find a way out of this. When he did, any man that had touched Deanna would die.

~TBC


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: **Contains violence against women. Sorry, but it was necessary for the story and for the development of the character. I tried to keep it tame, though. Also, the show and Stargate wiki was rather vague on the exact nature of kassa, so I took a few liberties in order to, hopefully, explain it a little better. Let me know what you think. ~lg

oOo

When Odru returned, he glared at Deanna. "Why have you not dressed like I asked?"

Deanna stood from her place in the corner. "I haven't dressed like you _demanded_ because I refuse to be treated like property. I told you this already."

He continued to glare as Ymara carried a tray into the room loaded with a variety of strange fruits, meats, and a carafe of some sort of alcoholic beverage. When she left, he walked over to the tray and poured two cups of the drink. "This wine makes your best Tau'ri wines taste like water." He held out a cup to Deanna. "Take it."

"No." She stared at him. "If you want me at all conscious for any part of this discussion we're about to have, you won't force me to drink the wine."

His eyes narrowed. "I wasn't planning for a discussion."

"I was." She smiled, not quite able to add the same flirtatious tilt that Cam often received. "I have so many questions about you and about your bosses. After all, I just barely found out that life exists on other planets. You can't expect me to just give myself to an alien when I barely found out they exist."

Odru stared for another moment and then laughed. "You make a good point, my dear." He finished one cup of wine and started on the other. "What do you wish to know?"

Deanna moved to the window, hoping to keep herself away from this man. "What planet is this?"

He walked over to the window, standing behind her and whispering in her ear, "Does it matter?"

"Yes." She barely stopped herself from shivering.

"It's one of many planets Kefflin controls. This one produces a large portion of our kassa crops." He slid a hand across her waist. "Care to try some?"

"What's kassa?"

"You Tau'ri call it 'corn,' though your corn has very little on kassa." He laughed softly. "I believe the closest thing you have to kassa would be your world's methamphetamine. Though, if I'm correct, this meth, as you call it, is a little more dangerous than kassa."

Deanna shuddered. "And you produce and sell this?"

"It's quite a good business." Odru stepped away from her temporarily and refilled his cup. "Most of the human populations in the galaxy are poor farmers with little else to keep them alive. They rely on kassa to provide a temporary escape and the will to keep going."

"You take advantage of those less fortunate than you and prey on their weaknesses." She couldn't keep the derision from her voice. "You're a drug pusher who only cares about his money."

He laughed and held out his hands, motioning to the room. "Yes, well, look what money can get you."

She stared. "I'm a prisoner here. No matter how opulent this room may be, you've imprisoned me against my will."

"That will change." He moved close to her again, and the smell of alcohol on his breath turned her stomach. "Once you learn your place, you'll have free reign of my ship."

"Your ship?"

"Yes, I have one of these vessels."

"And Ymara?"

"What about her?"

"Does she have free reign of a similar ship?"

"Ymara is none of your concern."

"I think she is." Deanna shrugged. "After all, she basically healed me. Which begs the questions. Why would the Goa'uld leave their mark on her? What does that mean?"

Odru blinked at the sudden change in subject. "The Goa'uld leave certain genetic markers in their hosts even after they're removed. It makes them able to operate certain technologies like the healing device Ymara used on you." He used a hand to capture her face and hold it still. "Enough talk."

Deanna blinked and turned her head, effectively causing him to kiss her ear. He pulled back and glared at her, and she knew that she'd have to fight him with everything in her. Using both hands, he held her head in place while planting a wet kiss on her lips. Deanna managed to snag one of his lips between her teeth and bite. Odru roared as she tasted blood. Rather than hitting her like she dreaded, he grabbed both of her shoulders and threw her on the bed. She bounced and brought up one knee to stop his forward momentum. While he tried to breathe, she quickly planted her heel in his face. Blood spurted out of his nose, and she ran for the door.

"Help me!" She pounded on the door. "Please! Help me!" Her cries dissolved into tears as Odru rushed her.

oOo

Cam sat in the corner of his cell, staring at the monitors. Deanna had not moved in the last several hours, and he frowned. The pain from his injuries dulled, and he fought with himself. Why had he done this? What had he been thinking? Deanna was too good for this kind of life. He should never have asked her out on that first date.

As soon as he thought that, he knew it wasn't right. He had asked her out intending for a light friendship and someone to spend time with while he was in New Mexico. He'd never expected to find the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. It never entered his mind. Besides, if he lived in fear of what his enemies might do to him, he'd never leave Cheyenne Mountain.

Odru entered Deanna's room, and Cam sat up a little straighter. What was that snake doing there? He wanted to curse at the monitor but knew Odru wouldn't hear him. Instead, he watched as the man poured two cups of wine. To her credit, Deanna refused them and managed to engage Odru in conversation. Cam wished he could hear what they said and continued to watch.

When Odru tried to kiss Deanna, Cam jumped to his feet. He nearly put his fist through one of the monitors and actually cheered when she bit Odru's lip and drew blood. The cell door opened behind him, and two guards came into the room. One laughed at him, and the other rudely commented on Odru's success with the new girl.

Cam's eyes slid to his left as he assessed the man's position. They had clearly come to taunt him with ideas of what happened in another room on this ship. If Deanna was even on this ship. Didn't matter, though. Cam intended to find her and make sure none of these lowlifes harmed her again.

Faster than either of the guards expected, he whirled and punched the first guard. While that one tried to recover, Cam managed to evade that three-pronged torture device that the second guard held. He wrestled it away, using it as a staff to smack the first guard in the face and leave him dazed on the floor. The second guard rushed him, and Cam cringed as he turned the business end of the device on his captor. The man shouted in pain and fell to his knees as light blazed out his eyes and mouth. As he recovered, Cam grabbed the zat in his cloth holster and shot both men. They slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Cam crept down the corridor, always keeping an ear open behind him. He knew that Kefflin likely had surveillance cameras set up and that his escape would be discovered sooner rather than later. He didn't care. He had to get to Deanna and rescue her from the monster holding her hostage. No matter how long it took, he would love her until she was whole.

Three levels up, two fights and one nasty black eye later, he found her room. He stood with his back to the wall just around the corner, listening to her screams. The two guards outside the room smirked at each other, and Cam used their distraction to stun them with the zat gun. He wanted to kill them outright, but he knew Deanna didn't need to see that side of his personality. Instead, he walked over to the door, silently cursing the fact that Sam wasn't with him. She'd be able to hack the lock. As soon as he approached the door, however, it opened.

Cam blinked and stared at it, momentarily dumbfounded. Odru must have rigged this door to recognize who came and went. Since Cam was in Kefflin's custody, he obviously didn't think to lock him out of the room.

Inside the room, Odru growled and raised his sidearm. Before Cam could react, Deanna screamed and threw herself on the man's arm. Odru's shot went wild, causing the wall to spark when the bullet hit the door's control panel. Blood ran down Deanna's face from her own split lip, and she also sported a black eye. Odru's nose looked broken. He shoved Deanna aside, and she fell against the bed, letting out a short yell when her left hand impacted the hard metal frame. Cam used Odru's distraction to fire the zat, barely stopping himself from firing a second time.

As Odru fell into an unconscious heap, Deanna pulled herself to her feet. She cradled her left hand as Cam walked over to her. Tears streamed down her face, and she didn't resist as he pulled her into his arms. For a moment, she simply cried. Then, she stepped back and swiped at her tears. "Are we going home?"

"Yep." Cam moved to Odru's side, quickly pulling the extra ammo the man carried from his belt and gathering the handgun from its place on the floor. He turned and held the zat toward Deanna. "Here. There's no kick, and it's easy to fire."

She took the weapon, carefully testing its weight as she eyed it. She seemed to have pulled herself together. Her gaze moved to Odru's form, and the weapon followed suit.

"No." Cam grabbed her wrist. "Trust me when I say this. You'll never be the same."

Something in his eyes must have made an impact because she nodded. "Okay."

He moved to the door and peeked out. "No one's coming. Let's go."

Deanna followed him, keeping up in spite of her injuries. The blood began to dry on her face, and Cam watched her carefully. She appeared in shock and not quite aware of her surroundings. A patrol rounded a corner ahead, and Cam raised the gun and fired. Deanna followed suit, taking down one of the guards. Another rushed her, and she aimed at him. The shot went wild, however, when he also tried to shoot her. Cam let out a deep breath as she ducked out of the way, and he killed the other man. He grabbed Deanna's arm and urged her down the corridor. Two minutes later, they stumbled across the fighter bay.

Odru's cargo ship still rested in the center of the bay. Cam whispered a quick prayer of thanks and pushed Deanna across the open areas. No one tried to stop them. The crates in the back of the cargo ship had been removed, leaving it empty save for the two of them. Cam pushed Deanna into the co-pilot's chair and began powering up the systems. Thankfully Teal'c had taught him to fly one of these in the last few months. He still wasn't well-versed in reading the Goa'uld systems, but he knew enough to get them out of the bay and cloaked.

The entire ship pitched forward, and sparks flew shortly after they cleared the bay. Cam cursed and pressed a few buttons.

Deanna stared, eyes wide. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't get cloaked fast enough!" He jerked the ship to the side to avoid another blast from Kefflin's mothership. "Hang on!"

The cargo ship was slower than the F302 fighters. Cam desperately tried to evade the blasts, but Kefflin's weapon's officer had impeccable aim. A blast sent the cargo ship into a tailspin, and Cam barely managed to get it under control before more sparks sent an alarm blaring through the small cockpit. He cursed again and slammed a hand down on another button. "We're cloaked."

Deanna ducked the shower of sparks. "What was that alarm?"

"Hyperdrive." He flew the ship below Kefflin's mothership and toward the planet. "I'm going to take up an orbit here. Hopefully, we can send out a distress beacon if they leave soon."

"If not?"

He stared at her. "Then we're screwed."

Deanna reacted about as well as she'd react if he told her that Danny had died. Her face crumpled, and he watched as she tried to pull herself together. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting. . .this. I mean, all of this. Your job, Kefflin, Odru, the Lucian Alliance, kassa. It's all a bit overwhelming."

"Trust me, darlin.'" He flew around the dark side of the planet and established geosynchronous orbit. A moment later, the ship went silent and dark. "I understand."

"You've done this before?"

"What? Get captured, rescue my girlfriend, fly away from a mafia warlord's ship, and manage to get stranded in a dying cargo ship with the most beautiful woman in the universe?" He eyed her, not really trying to censor his words. "Nope, can't say that I have."

She offered a ghost of a smile. "I meant going out into the galaxy and getting yourself in trouble with alien people in space ships." She frowned. "Man! I never thought I'd say those words and mean it literally!"

Cam chuckled. "Boggles the mind, don't it?"

"Yeah."

He sobered, hating the news he needed to give her. "Look, we're not out of the woods yet." He sat back in the chair. "Right now, we're orbiting a planet without a Stargate. I have a transponder implanted in my shoulder, and the SGC might be able to track that. But, without a miracle, we're sitting ducks."

"But what about this ship?"

"We have sublight engines, but that'll take days to get us to the nearest planet with a Stargate. We might not have that long."

"Why?"

"Because," Cam said, lowering his voice, "if I read the display correctly, we lost life support in that last blast. Not to mention everything except the cloak and sublight engines. And even those systems are shot to pieces." He met her eyes, hating the words about to come out of his mouth. "We're dead in the water."

~TBC


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: **I'm taking a little liberty in this chapter with some of the technology. I think it makes sense given what they've established about cloaked vessels in the show. I know that a cloaked vessel can be detected based on the type of energy it puts off, but Sam has even said that it needs to be specifically programmed into the sensors. So, I decided to use that. Hope it works. ~lg

oOo

Deanna sat in the copilot's chair, staring out the viewport at the planet below. They could land and take up residence there. She listened to Cam as he rattled around the back of the ship. What would be the harm in that? No, it wouldn't be Earth or their family and friends. But Danny would never allow Evan or the rest of Cam's team to stop looking for them. Eventually, they would be found. She turned in the chair. "Cam?"

"Yeah?" He returned to the cockpit with a wet cloth and set about cleaning the blood from her face.

She pointed. "What about down there? It's not what we're used to, but there's food, water, and a viable environment down there." She barely stopped herself from shaking her head as she fell into the typical geek-speak of science fiction movies.

"It's also part of Kefflin's territory. Sorry," he apologized when he touched her black eye. "Anyway, Kefflin has the technology and desire to find us down there if he wants to. That's why we're staying here. In this ship, we're cloaked and hidden from scans."

"How is that?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure about the specifics, but the cloak basically acts like a shield." He finished working on her face and dropped into his chair. "We are hidden from their scanners until we decloak to set down."

"But won't that keep our people from finding us?"

"Yeah." He stood and went back to the rear of the ship.

Deanna followed him. "What are you looking for?"

"Escape pods." Cam stopped and cursed. "They're not here."

"Like they'd be any help to us. They'd be visible to sensors the minute they left this ship." She frowned. "Kefflin would only have to scoop them up, and then we'd be in the same boat we were in before now."

"They have life support and would keep us alive until our people got here." He whirled and stared at her. "There are more things going on right now than just Kefflin. By now, SG-1 knows I've gone missing-you, too. They're scouring the galaxy, trying to find us. Trust me when I say that I do not want to be on Teal'c's bad side when he gets mad."

"And we're running out of air!" She blew out an exasperated breath, her emotions having swung from one extreme to the next in the last few hours. She didn't know how much more she could take. "We can't just hide. We have to do something!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Cam's voice rose as he turned back to his search of the ship. "I'm well aware of our situation, darlin.' I'm the one that put you here. And I'll be. . . .Let's just say I'm not going to be the one to get you killed. If that means that we have to stay in a dying ship without life support or any other recourse for days, then that's what it means! I'll do _anything_ to make sure you stay alive!"

Deanna stood in the middle of the circular pattern on the floor, fighting her tears and anger. In the short time she'd known Cam, she'd never wanted to just pound on him until the anger left her. All this rage and fear combined, and she wasn't able to stop the tears that escaped. Once one escaped, another followed behind it.

Cam turned. "Hey." His voice softened as he pulled her into his arms. "Come here."

Deanna folded into his arms, too tired and scared to hide how she truly felt. She buried her face in his shoulder and wept. She cried for herself, for Cam, for Danny and Evan, and for what Odru and Alejandro had done to her. She might have even cried for Ymara. By the time the storm passed, she leaned on Cam's strength and relished the safety of his arms. "Sorry," she said without lifting her head.

Cam led her to the wall and sat down with his arms still around her. Once he settled her head on his shoulder, he asked, "Care to talk about it?"

Deanna smiled and allowed herself to fiddle with his dog tags. Did she dare tell him everything she'd kept from him? Was it wise? She looked around. _You're stuck on an alien space ship around a planet across the galaxy from Earth with a man who just rescued you single-handedly_, she reminded herself. "Remember when I said I didn't want to visit you in Leavenworth?"

He moved suddenly as he glanced down at her. "Yeah."

"Well, I don't think I need to worry about that." She smiled, but it wasn't a smile of happiness. "Two years ago, I ended a relationship with a man I thought I loved. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. Danny did, though. And he nearly killed the guy."

"You've told me."

"What I didn't tell you is that, if Danny hadn't showed up when he did, Alejandro would have done what Odru tried to do."

Cam stiffened. "He tried to rape you?"

The raw anger in his voice brought tears to her eyes, and she nodded. "I didn't want you to know at first because it really has no bearing on us. I mean, yes, it affects me. That's why I pulled away when you first tried to kiss me. But, I know you're not _him_." She let out a deep breath, feeling the release of emotions she'd kept buried for years. "When Odru put me in that room and demanded that I dress in that gown, I remembered what Alejandro had done. It just scared the you-know-what out of me. I couldn't let that happen again. If you hadn't got there when you did. . . ."

His arms tightened around her. "Don't go there, darlin.'"

"I'm trying not to." She sniffled. "It's hard to have that in your past and not think about it."

"I understand." He sighed. "I know what it's like to have something stuck in your head for the rest of your life."

She looked at his face so near her own. "Reya?"

"Among other things." He glanced at her. "Before I was recruited with to the Stargate Program, I was flying fighter jets in the Middle East. We had what we thought was reliable intel on a terrorist target traveling in a convoy. I got the all-clear to drop the missile. Right after dropping the missile, the abort order came through. The convoy was full of refugees, mostly women and children. They told me it wasn't my fault."

Deanna watched his jaw clench as he thought about it. She wanted to assure him that it wasn't his fault, but she knew better. She couldn't convince him of that because he already knew it. "Doesn't make it easy, though."

"No." He looked at her, his eyes boring into her face. His voice sounded rough. "I have to live with it. And I try to push on, but, sometimes, something will bring it up."

She settled her head back on his shoulder. "You didn't have to tell me."

"Yes, I did." He swallowed. "There's times when I don't want to talk about things, and that's why. If we're going to make it in the long haul, you need to know some of them."

Deanna pulled away from him and stared. "Who said anything about the long haul?"

"I did."

She pushed herself to her feet and paced across the cargo hold. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?"

"Proposing to you in a dying ship while the galactic version of a mafia looks for us? No." He also rose to his feet. "I'm simply telling you how I see this relationship working out. Eventually. When we're ready. Right now just seemed like a good time to tell you."

Deanna stared at him. "You're sure?"

"Very."

The lights flickered in the hold, and sparks flew from the cockpit. Deanna rushed into the other portion of the ship. "What was that?"

"I don't know." Cam brought up the display he'd used to fly the ship. "Oh, no. No, no, no!"

"What?"

"We just lost the cloak."

"That's not good!"

"I know it's not good!"

"Do we have sensors or scanners or whatever they're called?"

"No." He glanced at her. "We've been out here for a while."

"That doesn't mean they're gone." She dropped into the copilot's seat. "Do what you need to, Cam. I trust you."

He eyed her but activated sublight engines. As they flew around the curve of the planet, Deanna held her breath. Kefflin's mothership had hovered above the moon when they'd cloaked. Now, it was nowhere to be seen. A lengthy scout of the area revealed no visible ships. That didn't exclude other cloaked cargo ships. Finally, Cam returned to the planet's orbit and rose from his seat. Deanna followed him into the cargo hold. He stood with his hands on his hips and head down. Rather than speaking, she slipped her arms around his waist, hoping that the contact would comfort him in some way.

After several moments, he turned and took her in his arms. "I love you, Deanna. More than any other woman alive."

She smiled. "I know. And I love you." She looked around. "If this is to be our end, then I'm glad I'm spending it with you."

Cam stared at her for a moment and then kissed her. Deanna returned the kiss with everything in her. Once they came up for air, Cam led her back to their spot beside the wall. They talked of everything. Deanna allowed Cam to sweep her mind to the various planets he'd visited. She shared the more mundane details of running a greenhouse. They both ignored the headache and various symptoms of oxygen deprivation. Eventually, Cam felt Deanna's head slump onto his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her protectively, determined to protect her even in death. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he whispered, "I love you."

Neither one realized that they'd been encased in white light.

oOo

Teal'c blinked at the sight that met his eyes. Colonel Mitchell fell backwards, the result of not having the wall of the cargo ship to support him. Deanna Chandry dropped onto his chest. Both life signs had barely registered by the time the _Odyssey_ found them. Medical teams rushed in, placing both the colonel and his girlfriend on gurneys and rushing them to the infirmary.

Teal'c touched his radio. "We have them, Colonel Carter. And they are alive."

~TBC


	21. Chapter 21

Deanna awoke slowly, blinking at the bright lights around her as she tried to get away from the smothered feeling. A hand touched her arm. "Hey, it's okay. You're safe."

Evan? She blinked at him standing beside her bed. His face broke into a smile, and he turned to speak to someone else. A moment later, Sam appeared. Deanna tried to speak, but the mask on her face muffled the noise. Evan moved, and Dr. Lam took his place. She checked vitals as she spoke. "Well. You're back. I have to admit I wasn't sure if you'd wake up today."

As soon as she removed the oxygen mask from her face, Deanna swallowed. "Cam?" she whispered.

His voice came from behind Lam. "I'm right here, darlin.'"

Carter smiled at her. "You're on board the _Odyssey_. We got some intel on Kefflin's location and arrived in time to pick up your ship and Cam's transponder code. We beamed you directly to the infirmary."

Deanna blinked away the headache as Carolyn moved, revealing Cam lying in the bed next to hers. She smiled. "I'm glad." Her eyes drifted shut.

"Oh, hey, don't go to sleep yet." Evan returned with someone following him. "You've got company."

Deanna grinned when Danny appeared. "You got clearance?"

"I didn't give them a choice." Danny smiled at her. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me, too." She pushed herself up in the bed. "What happened while we were gone?"

"Ah," Evan said with a grin, "things got rough."

Cam, who had apparently been awake for a time glared at him. "Yeah, so people keep telling me. Mind informing the rest of us?"

Danny eyed Deanna. "Alyssa Franks is dead."

"Whoa." Cam held up a hand. "Franks? As in Amber Franks, now Amber Baker?"

Evan nodded. "Yep."

"Why?" Deanna asked. "I mean, did you find a motive or how or anything? She seemed like a nice girl."

Cam stared at her. "This is the same woman who tried to seduce me at Bach's wedding. How can you say she was nice?"

"Well, I was talking in general." Deanna grinned at him. "When it came to you, I wanted to kill her." She glanced at Danny and Evan. "I'm thinking that wasn't a wise thing to say."

Danny pulled a stool over to his spot. "It turns out that she was stalking Cam, and you were right to be a little concerned. They found evidence that she'd been in our home."

Deanna stared. "Those nights I left the computer on? And the night I thought someone had been in my room?"

Evan nodded. "Her entire office was covered with pictures of Colonel Mitchell."

Cam lifted his head from his pillow. "Hey, Lorne." He paused as Evan looked at him. "I'm with your favorite cousin. Drop the 'colonel' already."

Evan grinned. "Yes, Sir."

"Drop that, too." Cam glared at him.

Evan clearly considered replying with a smart-aleck remark but instead turned to Deanna. "Whoever killed her did us a favor. It appears that she was getting ready to attack you. I'm glad we didn't have to protect you from her."

Deanna rubbed her eyes with her right hand. The knowledge that her instincts had been right didn't make the situation any better. She hated that Amber's sister had died, but she couldn't help but feel relieved that she had died before doing any real harm. "Is it wrong to be relieved?"

Danny appeared surprised. Evan shook his head. "After what you've been through, no." He shrugged. "After a while, you become calloused to some things."

"I'm sure it'll hit me." She dropped her head onto her pillow. "Right now, I'm tired."

Danny chuckled. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Deanna drifted to sleep, but it was different this time. Now, she could breathe. The headache slowly faded, and she allowed the exhaustion from her ordeal take her away from the dreams and memories of distant and recent troubles. She was safe, and Cam was alive. That was all that mattered.

oOo

Deanna was released from the infirmary a day later. Cam walked with her as she took in every aspect of the ship. They stopped at her quarters first, where she found a change of clothing. The flight suit seemed a slight bit big on her, but it helped her blend in with the rest of the crew. Then, after she'd changed, he took her to the mess hall. They sat by a window, not speaking but sharing each other's company.

"Colonel Mitchell." The deep greeting brought their heads around.

Deanna stared up at Teal'c. "Oh, you should have told me he was big."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Cam stood quickly. "Dee, this is Teal'c. He's a member of my team and also not from Earth."

Deanna grinned. "The gold emblem on his forehead gave that away." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Deanna."

Teal'c took her hand in an awkward handshake. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Deanna Chandry."

Cam slapped the Jaffa on his bare arm. "Pull up a chair, T. We're just enjoying some coffee."

"I am afraid that I cannot, Colonel Mitchell." Teal'c turned from Deanna. "Colonel Carter has asked me to locate you. She would like to debrief you on your time with Kefflin as well as devise a strategy to defeat him."

Cam turned to Deanna, adopting a mildly annoyed expression. "The never ending meetings."

She laughed, a delightful sound that seemed to affect even Teal'c. "Yeah, but you love it. Go. I'll be fine."

Rather than worry, Cam decided to take her at her word. He followed Teal'c from the mess hall and into the _Odyssey's_ conference room. The rest of SG-1, as well as Lorne, had gathered. Carter sat at the table along with Jackson and Vala. Cam grinned. "What's going on?"

Vala glared at him. "Besides almost losing you in a cargo ship without life support?"

"Yeah, besides that."

Carter met his eyes. "We were hoping you could tell us."

"Well, as you know, Kefflin wanted me." He stared at his hand, still surprised at the anger that flooded his mind. "It turns out that Odru wanted Deanna."

"Odru?" Jackson asked.

"Bounty hunter of some sort." He glanced around the room. "I barely got her away from him."

Lorne clearly knew Deanna's past. His jaw clenched, and the neutral expression he often wore disappeared. "How did she handle it?"

Cam met his eyes. "About how you'd expect her to handle it. About how she handled it last time, if I'm reading you and Danny right."

Lorne turned to the viewport, but Cam saw the murderous look on the man's face.

Carter glanced between the two men. "We've got our contacts with the Tok'ra and the Jaffa looking for him. When we get reliable intel, we're going to move against his organization."

"No." Cam looked at the men and women in front of him, knowing they'd understand his venom. "We're going to end him." He leaned forward in his chair. "I understand we don't sanction with extreme prejudice for just any reason. It's what separates us from a lot of the bad guys. But Kefflin will continue to cause trouble until he's taken out of the picture. He proved that."

Jackson scowled. "Yeah, but someone as bad, if not worse, will rise in his place. We've seen this happen before."

Cam nodded. "I know that. But Kefflin knows where we live. He knows our base of operations and how to get onto our planet without being detected. He won't leave us alone."

"I hardly think that's justification for killing the man in cold blood," Jackson returned.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Cam asked. "Take away his power? His organization? If we do that, he'll just come after us."

Carter interrupted when Jackson tried to speak. "You're talking about a surgical strike. Someone infiltrating Kefflin's organization to destabilize it and bring it down. Like we did with Netan."

Cam pointed at her. "Exactly. If we do it right, we won't have to worry about people coming after us. It'll look like some random bounty hunter just got the better of him."

Teal'c finally jumped into the conversation. "I do not believe we could impersonate bounty hunters any longer, Colonel Mitchell. Our faces are too well known."

Lorne, who had been silent until now, walked over to the table and settled in a chair. "Mine isn't." He shrugged. "I've been in the Pegasus galaxy for years. They wouldn't know my face."

Cam turned to Carter. "Man has a point."

"Yeah, he does," Carter agreed. "If we go with this plan, you two would be on Kefflin's ship, alone. We might-and I stress the word, might-be able to get that cargo ship running again, and more of us could remain there in case you need backup. But you could be going in alone."

"I get it, Sam." Cameron sighed. "I'm not keen on this plan. I mean, if we go in, we need to make sure it's foolproof. Rushing into these things impulsively is what got us here in the first place."

The group fell silent. None of them liked the options given to them, but they all knew something had to be done. Finally, Cam pushed to his feet. "Get us the intel we need." He turned to Lorne. "Major, we've got some planning to do."

Two days later, the intel they needed finally arrived. Carter had managed to get the cargo ship running with only a few issues. The life support problem was surprisingly easy to fix, but the cloak was shot. When Cam and Deanna had hidden, they'd inadvertently fried the system. But hyperdrive, life support, and sensors worked well enough to warrant using the ship. Especially since Lorne decided to use the cover of a hopped-up wannabe bounty hunter. At first, Cam refused to consider the persona. Then, Lorne shared some of the things that had happened on Atlantis, included one incident where the entire base lost their memories due to a Pegasus childhood illness. The desperate druggie seemed like the way to go.

Cam walked through the _Odyssey_, dressed in the same civilian clothes he'd worn during his first encounter with Kefflin. He and Lorne would leave shortly, but he needed to see someone first. He found Deanna in her quarters, reading a book near the window. "Hey."

She jumped to her feet and eyed his attire. "You're leaving."

"Yeah." He wondered if he'd ever get accustomed to seeing that expression of worry cross her face. "I wanted to stop by before we go."

She walked into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Come home soon. And make sure Evan gets back, too."

He laughed. "Plan on it, darlin.'" He pulled back and looked her in the eye. "We have a lot to discuss when we get home. Everything I said while we were back in that cargo ship? I meant it."

"So did I." She kissed him, efficiently scrambling his brain. "Stay safe."

Cam left, unable to wipe the grin off his face. He had so many plans for their return to Earth. In fact, the only reason they hadn't yet returned to Earth was his insistence in taking down Kefflin. Once there, however, he intended to explore and discuss every bit of the bond between him and Deanna.

Lorne met him in the hangar bay, his hair spiked and leather clothing in slight disarray. "You ready, Sir?"

"Yep." When Lorne headed for the cargo ship, Cam stopped him with a hand on the shoulder. "Hold on. Kefflin's going to expect me to be a little more battered than I already am. I did just escape his ship single-handedly. There's no way he's going to believe a hopped-up addict like yourself just managed to subdue me."

"Sir?" Lorne's eyes narrowed.

"Major, I'm giving you permission to strike a superior officer." Cam cringed slightly. "Just make it look good."

"Yes, Sir." Lorne hesitated for a fraction of a moment and then swung, catching Cam off guard. As he hit the deck, he chuckled. Deanna's cousin sure packed a punch!

~TBC


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: **Minor discrepancies at the end of this chapter have now been fixed! Thanks to those of you who pointed them out in your kind, gentle way. I needed the extra eyes on this one! ~lg

oOo

"Oh." Mitchell coughed shortly after he woke. He began to push himself up from his face-down position on the floor. "That hurt."

Lorne eyed the two guards watching them and planted a foot in the middle of Mitchell's back, pinning him to the floor. "She was my cousin."

Mitchell's head rose suddenly. "Cousin?" He blinked, clearly getting the message that Lorne had slipped into character. "Right. Sorry about that."

Lorne sniffed in indignation. "You'll get what you deserve."

Another man sauntered into the room, followed by two more guards. "What?" His eyes landed on the man on the floor. "Oh, Colonel Mitchell. How nice of you to join us again."

"Yeah," Mitchell responded, craning his neck to look at Kefflin's knees. "I was hoping to never see you again."

Lorne jabbed at his back with his heel, causing the colonel to groan in pain. "My fee?"

Kefflin turned cold eyes to him. "You are?"

"Ronel," he said, spitting out the name he'd decided to take as his alias. "You said there's a reward for the person who could capture Colonel Mitchell of the Tau'ri." He put just enough desperation in his voice to sound sincere.

Kefflin considered him, taking in the rumpled and tattered clothes, sweaty face, and hair that looked like it hadn't been washed or combed in weeks. "Yes, I did." He motioned over his shoulder. Two guards stepped forward. "Take Ronel to his reward. The colonel and I have things to discuss."

Lorne gave Mitchell's back one final jab with his heel. "Maybe you'll think twice about getting someone's family killed, Mitchell." Then, he stopped and let out a slightly insane laugh. "Wait, no you won't. You won't be around to do that again!"

He swaggered out of the room, knowing that Mitchell's hands weren't as bound as they appeared. Once down the hallway, he tapped on of the guards on the shoulder. When the man turned, he planted a powerhouse punch right in the guy's nose. Before his partner could get his weapon out of his holster, Lorne kicked him in the stomach and disarmed him. Within five minutes, both men lay unconscious on the ground.

Lorne straightened and rolled his shoulders. "Man! That felt good!" He quickly gathered the guards' weapons and jogged back to the room where he'd left Mitchell. As he rounded the corner, he stepped over the unconscious form of a third guard and saw Mitchell securing Kefflin's hands behind his back. Kefflin's head lolled forward as he struggled against the unconsciousness that threatened. As soon as his hands were bound, Mitchell punched him again. Kefflin crumpled onto the floor.

Mitchell straightened. "Stage one complete." He headed down the hall. Lorne fell into step, covering their six as they moved toward their target. Only two groups of guards challenged them, and they managed to subdue all attackers with very little trouble. At their first target, Mitchell glanced at him. "Feel a little too easy?"

Lorne nodded. "Yeah."

Mitchell nodded. "Thought so." He whirled and peeked out the door. "Charges set. Let's go."

Lorne followed, keeping an eye out for their enemies. When he'd returned to Earth, he planned to spend two weeks on leave. Maybe paint a sunset over the Golden Gate bridge. See his sister and nephews. Surprise his cousins. Running through a human-controlled Goa'uld mothership, planting C4 charges at power relay stations, and evading the enemy definitely did _not_ meet his definition of vacation.

They set the second charge without opposition. Lorne frowned, concerned. Why hadn't anyone tried to oppose them yet? He knew that Mitchell had taken out a significant number of the crew when he escaped with Deanna, but there should have been more guards. A lot more.

By the time they'd run clear across the ship, Lorne knew their exit wouldn't be as easy as their entrance. By posing as a bounty hunter, he'd been guaranteed access to Kefflin. Now that Kefflin knew he'd been set up, getting home would be difficult, at best.

They encountered their first resistance when they entered the level with the transport rings. As soon as Mitchell dropped down the stairs, gunfire ripped through the corridor. Lorne dropped behind Mitchell, hiding behind a corner. Breathing deeply to settle the nervous tension that had built over the course of the last few minutes, he ducked around the corner and fired. The single bullet hit its mark, and the front guard fell.

Lorne checked his ammunition. He had one clip in the small Lucian Alliance sidearm, and one clip left. Not enough to shoot his way through a heavily armed group of soldiers. He'd have to make every shot count. He glanced across the hall and saw that Mitchell realized the same thing. Taking another deep breath, he dropped to his knee and squeezed off two more shots.

Across the hall, Mitchell reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. Lorne blinked. Where had the man managed to get a grenade? It didn't matter, and Mitchell rolled it around the corner. Lorne shielded his eyes and blinked when the flash faded. Several other guards lay unconscious in the corridor.

Lorne rushed down the hall, peeking into the room with the rings transporter. Four men stood, each one holding what appeared to be automatic weapons. Lorne caught Mitchell's eye and communicated with hand signals. Mitchell nodded his agreement. The two men moved on the colonel's count, rounding the corner and taking out the four guarding the rings. Neither one saw the two guards just inside the door, pressed against the wall. Lorne felt the blaze in his side as he dove into the middle of the circle on the floor. Mitchell pressed the buttons and covered him as the transporter activated.

As soon as they appeared in their cargo ship, Mitchell jumped to his feet. "Light it up!"

Lorne pulled the detonator from his pocket, hoping that the long-range modifications Carter had made would work. "Here goes nothing." He pressed the button. Several explosions rippled through the nearby mothership, leaving it inert and vulnerable to attack.

Mitchell grinned and then laughed. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about." He turned, and the grin faded. "Lorne?"

Evan looked down, feeling suddenly weak. Blood soaked his side, and he grunted. "It's just a graze." He hoped. He pulled up his shirt to examine the wound, confirming his assessment.

"Oh, man." Mitchell glanced at him as he reached for the first aid kit they'd brought with them. "Deanna's going to kill me."

Before either man could comment on that statement, another explosion ripped through Kefflin's ship, destroying it in a spectacular blast. The shock wave traveled faster than Mitchell could fly, and the struggling sublight engines of the cargo ship fritzed when it hit. Only the inertial dampeners kept the men in place as the small cargo ship tumbled end-over-end toward the depths of space.

oOo

Deanna breathed a sigh of relief when Cam and Evan contacted the _Odyssey_. Not that she'd been allowed on the bridge. She sat in the mess hall, waiting impatiently as Vala worked to distract her. Deanna thought about Cam's job. Really thought about it. Would she be able to handle this worry all the time? Would it drive her into an early grave? Or worse, would it force her to leave him the way her mother left her father? Evan knew what Cam faced. And he wasn't married or in any serious relationship. Should she take that as a sign that she shouldn't pursue Cam's very clear intentions?

Just the thought of that made her heart pound and her throat close. No, she couldn't let him go. She'd fought too hard to stay alive just so that she could see him again. No matter what the cost, she chose to stay with Cam. She needed him in her life.

"Deanna Chandry." Teal'c's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Colonel Mitchell and Major Lorne have just returned from their mission. They are in the infirmary being treated for their injuries."

"Oh, thank God." Deanna jumped from her chair and rushed for the infirmary. Out of every place on this ship, she knew how to find the infirmary. Carolyn met her at the door, asking her to stay out for just a few minutes. Evan had been shot and required some stitches. When Deanna's face paled, Carolyn rushed to explain that it was simply a graze. By the time Deanna saw them, Evan wore a blue scrubs top, and Cam sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing a jaw sporting another new bruise. She gave Evan a sheepish grin as she walked into Cam's arms. To her chagrin, he planted a happy kiss on her lips, causing her to forget her cousin's injury.

Evan's whistle and the medical staff's applause pulled them out of the kiss. Cam grinned as Deanna buried her face in his chest. While she wasn't ashamed of their relationship, she didn't want the world to witness how he could fry every cell in her brain simply by kissing her.

Cam chuckled as Jackson patted his shoulder. "Get used to it, darlin.' There's no such thing as privacy on a ship."

Deanna nodded and tried to stop the blush that covered her face as she turned to face Evan. He refused to let her off the hook that easily. "Hey, that's a great shade. I'm sure the colonel loves it."

"Shut up," she retorted. 

"Make me."

Deanna raised her eyebrow at the challenge. "I happen to know that Dr. Lam would make my next visit to her infirmary torture if I so much as irritated your stitches."

"Maybe," Lam said as she joined the trio. "But I'd make an exception after seeing that kiss. You clearly aren't thinking straight right now."

Deanna's face flushed again, and Cam and Evan burst into laughter. Evan stopped abruptly with a groan. Deanna grinned at him. "Serves you right!"

Cam dropped his arm around her shoulders and glanced at Evan. "Mind if I steal her away for a while?"

"Not at all, Sir."

"Major." Cam glared.

Lorne grinned at him. "I'll drop the 'Sir' when you decide to stop kissing my cousin in front of me. It's slightly disturbing."

Deanna laughed at Evan's shudder as Cam steered her out of the infirmary. She saw the new bruises on his face, as well as the old injuries that had been reopened. They didn't speak for a long time, and Deanna recognized the new darkness in his eyes. Perhaps he'd tell her when he was ready.

Two days later, Cam tugged Deanna onto the bridge of the ship. As the lead officer of SG-1, Carter had turned command of the _Odyssey_ over to Cam as soon as he returned from his surgical strike. They had yet to receive intel from the Lucian Alliance, and Deanna hated the pins and needles she'd experienced in the last few days. Danny waited in front of a panoramic viewport. Blue streaks rushed at them, reminding her that the ship still traveled through hyperspace. Cam settled in the captain's chair and glanced at the woman beside him. "Sam?"

"Approaching coordinates," Carter replied. She pushed a few buttons.

Deanna blinked. The ship burst from hyperspace, leaving her feeling as if she'd been swimming underwater for a long period of time. The sudden shift back to regular space seemed as if she'd burst from the water and felt the sun on her face. She drew in a sharp breath as a blue and green orb turned beneath them. White swirls of clouds created patterns that sharply contrasted with the vibrant hues of a life-sustaining planet. Deanna struggled to breathe. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen anything more beautiful. A smile broke out on her face. "We're home!"

~TBC


	23. Epilogue

**Author's Note:** To all of you who have stayed with me for this journey, thank you. It's meant more than you know to have people read my "scribblings" and call them good! ~lg

oOo

Deanna's return to Earth marked a change in her life. She and Danny spent a long afternoon together as they made decisions that affected everything. Danny had decided to propose to Marissa, and Deanna wanted to accept General Landry's job offer of a job at the SGC. That effectively ended their partnership in New Mexico. While she would miss the house their father had left for them, she anticipated this new direction. She would be near Cam doing the most exciting work the galaxy had to offer.

As soon as possible, Evan said goodbye to them and returned to San Francisco for that long-awaited two-week leave. Landry had spoken to his CO in Atlantis-Atlantis!-and arranged for his leave to be extended due to the circumstances on Earth. When he returned to say goodbye, he also bore a large painting. This one, a sunset over the Golden Gate bridge painted on the beach, took Deanna's breath away. She stared at it for a long time, loving the way he'd painted the sun's rays gleaming and the vibrant hues of falling night. She decided immediately that it would hang in the living room of her new apartment, leaving the mountain scene for Danny and Marissa.

News of Kefflin's defeat trickled into the SGC slowly. It seemed that Kefflin and Odru had both died in the explosion that claimed their ship. Cam and Evan could not have known that certain modifications to the power conduits in the ship triggered a second, stronger reaction in the core of the hyperdrive. With the Lucian Alliance in disarray, their world was once again safe.

A month after her accident, Deanna stood next to a hospital bed in the SGC's infirmary. Carolyn had just released her to begin physical therapy, and she both anticipated and dreaded that next stage. Cam still spoke of her return to music, but Deanna refused to set her heart on it. She didn't want to fail herself or his expectations.

As she thought about this, Cam walked into the room. "Earth to Deanna."

She grinned. "Shush."

"No." He sobered quickly.

She frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure nothing is wrong." He put his palms on the hospital bed between them and leaned forward. "I just don't know where to start."

"At the beginning." She watched the emotions flicker through his eyes, and her breath caught. What had happened to stir such deep emotions? "Cam?"

"I got you a couple gifts." He glanced away momentarily. "You can accept one or both or neither at all. Though, I'm hoping you take at least one of them."

She forced a smile. "That sounded serious."

"It is." He let out a deep breath. "The first one is a guitar. For me. Now that you're starting physical therapy, I'd like you to teach me to play."

Deanna let out a sigh. "Cam, I'm not sure I'll even be able to play."

"And I want to help you." Determination covered his face. "To that end, I have my second gift on me." He tucked a small leather pouch into her hands.

She blinked at it before opening the pouch. A platinum band bearing a very large princess-cut diamond twinkled from the darkness. She pulled it out and forced herself to breathe. "Oh, Cam."

"I know there's a lot to talk about, but I can't wait any longer to give you that." He shrugged, seeming more like the man she'd met than the one she'd come to know during their harrowing time on Kefflin's ship. "It's time I made some commitment to this thing we have. I said it was worth exploring, and I nearly died to find out that it is." He paused, not giving her space to truly think. "Marry me, Dee."

She allowed him to take the ring and slide it onto her finger. "It's beautiful."

"So, does that mean you'll keep it?"

She laughed. "Yes, that mean's I'll keep it." She suddenly threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder as she tried not to cry. After everything that she'd been through, she finally had someone to share her life and her experiences.

At the door, Landry and SG-1 watched the scene with smiles on their faces. After her return from Odru's custody, Deanna had become a team favorite. They'd come to see her and get an update on her condition. They found her in Cam's arms, crying as a large ring sparkled on her left hand.

Jackson let out a deep breath and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I take it she said yes."

Teal'c eyed him, his eyebrow rising as he regarded his close friend. "Indeed."

THE END

**COMING SOON!**

_UNNOTICED_

A COMPANION PIECE TO _UNEXPECTED_

Major Lorne returned from Pegasus in the line of duty. He never wanted to be noticed for his actions. Then, he noticed someone else.

NEW CHAPTERS POSTING SOON!


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